


Shutter

by CariadWinter, Dark_Labyrinth



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Out of Character, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-18
Updated: 2012-11-18
Packaged: 2017-11-19 00:11:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/566866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CariadWinter/pseuds/CariadWinter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Labyrinth/pseuds/Dark_Labyrinth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unexpected travelling companion leads to an unexpected outcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shutter

**Author's Note:**

> Written some years ago for the HD Career Fest on LiveJournal with my always brilliant writing partner DarkLabyrinth.

Harry hung up the phone and leaned back against the chair in his room. Talks with Ginny always seemed to take it out of him. He was tired of taking all the blame for their failed relationship. The one thing he was thankful for was they had never married. No messy divorce. The phone calls he could do without though. It had been over two years and still she called him. They were friends but… it was as if she thought if she dangled her new life in front of him enough that he would simply tell her that he was wrong and he didn’t want to spend his life behind the camera and come rushing home to start a family. Another thing he’d never been too fond of.

With a deep sigh, Harry stood and walked to the window he had been drawn to every time he was in the room. From this window he could see San Giorgio Island. Harry’s photographer’s eye could appreciate the beauty of such a wonder. He could see the draw of the beautiful structure that was the old monastery. The light was perfect and… Harry reached for his camera on the table and lifted it to his eye. Through the lens everything became clearer, focused and brighter. He could see better through the lens and the beauty of the spires glowed in the early morning sun. The familiar whir of the shutter as it closed and opened brought a smile to his face.

Harry looked down at his Pentax and smiled. It was the first camera he’d bought and had slowly over the years purchased every lens to go with it. He used a Nikkon Digital for a lot of his shots, but his love was the Pentax. He loved the abilities of his digital but many of his photographs had sold because he used film and would tape the clipped negative signed to the back of the picture.

Harry picked up his camera strap and wrapped it around his neck. He normally hated the touristy types, but he wasn’t working on his last day in Venice. Today was simply a day to enjoy. He wanted to visit the Rialto Bridge at sunset and even if the pictures were only for himself, he wanted them. People came to only expect Landscapes from him. He didn’t mind, they were what called to him most. Which was why he wouldn’t be going to any major cities until Rome. He had two weeks to get there and he would take his time touring the beautiful countryside of Italy. That’s when he would work. The thought made him chuckle because he didn’t ever consider it _work_.

Work was seven years ago, in shitty studios, anorexic bitchy models and there wasn’t enough money in the world to drag him back to that. The money he made shooting models had been more than enough to, first: build his own studio and second: branch out on his own. After that the money from his pictures made him more than he thought he would ever need. He purchased a flat in London, which was still where he considered home, and the rest of the time he spent traveling. 

Harry smiled at the view one last time before moving back to the small table and finishing his breakfast of croissant and fruit crêpes. The day moved along entirely too fast after that and at sunset Harry found himself moving closer to the bridge to get the last few shots of it before actually crossing it and taking pictures from it as well. The people in the shot didn’t bother him; mostly he ignored them until a figure caught his eye through the lens. He slowly turned the lens until the man with blond hair came into sharp focus. 

There in the Portico, was a man who looked like… Draco Malfoy. Malfoy had attended the same boarding school with Harry. Though they never had really talked, Harry found himself almost drawn to the familiar face. Maybe he’d just been gone too long from London and all his friends. It wasn’t as if he and Malfoy ever even spoke; he was rich and Harry had been a scholarship case who wasn’t fit to wash most of the other student’s feet. Yet Harry’s feet had already carried him to the foot of the bridge and he was already almost to him. 

Malfoy hadn’t moved. He was still leaning against the railing and looking out over the Grand Canal. Harry was surprised how amazing he looked. He’d grown his hair out so it fell between his shoulder blades, and it was tied at the base of his neck. His frame was lean and still he looked to Harry as he did back then, perfectly rich. You know the types, snobbish, beautiful beyond reality, never a hair out of place… perfect. It didn’t stop him from calling out though. 

“Draco Malfoy?”

Draco straightened a little at the sound of his name and turned to look in the direction the voice had come from. A man, about his height with dark hair and glasses was walking towards him. His face looked familiar, but he couldn’t place him.

“Yes,” he answered and turned fully towards the man. Draco offered the man a polite, welcoming smile. He’d learned in his line of work that you never let anyone see you struggling for recognition. The smart thing, even when you didn’t know them, was to charm them; it kept the clients happy and him in business. 

“Can I help you?”

Harry smiled; then he chuckled a little and shook his head. “You haven’t the slightest idea who I am, do you?” He moved forward and extended his hand. “Harry Potter, we attended Stanborough together. Not that I expect you to remember. We didn’t exactly tea at the same table.”

Draco shook the man’s hand and went back through his memories of his years that he’d been at Stanborough. “Potter? Potter?” And then it hit him, Potter had been one of the rowers. He’d done singles. The man had placed nearly every time he’d been out on the water.

“I remember you now. Stanborough rowing team; you rowed singles. The coach tried to convince you to join the team events, thought you could go all the way to the Junior Championships.” Draco gave an amused grin and leaned his hip against the railing. “His wife was my Equestrian instructor and he was always very… vocal. I saw some of your races. You were good. Still at it?”

“Only for fun. This earns the paycheck now,” Harry said lifting his camera just a bit. 

“Coach Barnes always was a little eager in his praise. I was alright.” Harry moved forward a bit and leaned against the Portico wall. “Sorry to bother you, it’s just been awhile since I’ve seen a familiar face. Are you waiting for your wife?”

Draco held up his hand to show his bare ring finger. “Pans and I split about a year ago, realized we’d be nothing more than friends pretending to be a happily married couple for the rest of our lives if we didn’t do something about it. So, we’re now both happily divorced and catching amazing hell from our families for it.”

He gave a light chuckle and tucked his hand into his pocket. “What about you? You here with the missus?” 

Harry nodded and then held up his left hand the same as Draco. “I’m not exactly sure my life was what Ginny was ready for.” He dropped the hand to his camera and toyed with the lens cap a bit.

“So… If you haven’t got plans; how about dinner and we catch up a little? Past the whole failed relationship thing. It’s my last night in Venice and it’d be a nice change to eat with someone I know.”

Draco checked his watch, then shrugged and nodded. He had the time and it would be nice to catch up with an old school mate, even if they hadn’t traveled in the same social circles. “Dinner sounds good,” he agreed, straightened and waited for Harry to lead the way.

“So what was it that brought you to Venice? Business or pleasure?”

Harry pushed off the wall and turned to lead the way off the bridge. He waited for Draco to fall into step beside him before answering his question. “A bit of both, really. I’m a photographer. Apparently not as famous as I would like to believe if you’ve not heard of me,” he teased and gave a light chuckle. 

“There go those delusions of grandeur I’d always had.” He laughed again and turned to look at Draco. “Actually, I photograph landscapes and make a decent living. I’m supposed to meet a publisher in a few weeks in Rome to go over a book he wants to do of my work. I plan on driving and seeing what inspires me. What about you?”

“I was here to meet a client before I fly to Rome for two weeks actually,” Draco replied; his eyebrow arched at Harry’s teasing. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile. Only his close friends played with him. His staff wouldn’t dare. It was interesting. Harry seemed like one of those ‘Happy Go Lucky’ blokes that always had a smile for something.

“You know, my potential client owns an old theater here and is planning on doing a remodel. I was here to show him some of my work and hopefully secure the job. I love working on old buildings, theaters, cathedrals. They hold so much history and it’s amazing to be able to be a part of restoring them to the grandeur they use to have. If you’re as good as you think you are, perhaps you could show me some of your work and I might consider using it. I always love a fresh perspective.”

“Ah… An architect,” Harry said and gave a slight tilt to his head. “I can understand working on old buildings. When I photograph buildings or structures they tend to only be old ones. I’ve yet to find a new structure that truly made me want to capture it.” 

They arrived at Harry’s hotel and he hadn’t even realized they’d covered the short distance. “I should get out of the denims if we’re going somewhere. Want to come up while I change or should we just eat here?”

“I don’t know, how’s the food here in the hotel café?” Draco asked and looked about the quaint, but grand lobby as they crossed it moving towards the lifts. The room was done in an array of golds, deep reds, and whites. The décor was rich and elegant; somewhere he could see himself staying. “Or room service? This place is brilliant. What made you choose it?”

Harry smiled remembering what he’d first thought when he arrived a few days before. “I don’t know if you remember a girl from school; she was a year younger than us, very sweet and very odd. Her name is Luna. She and I still keep in touch and when I saw the name of the hotel I could see her face beaming at me.”

A bell hop greeted them at the lift and waited for them to enter before pressing the button for his floor. “The room service is unbelievable. I’ve yet to find anything bad on the menu and its twenty four hour. We could eat in my room. And I won’t have to try to find myself something decent to wear.”

“The nerve of some people, actually expecting you to dress for dinner,” Draco mused and cut a sideways glance at Harry. There was a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Room service is fine. I don’t mind staying in. Luna? Wasn’t she the girl who kept loosing all of her things? And she wore those funny hats. It’s a shame really. She was rather pretty.”

The lift gave off a soft chime when they reached Harry’s floor and he stepped out and waited for Draco. He was still smiling that the man had actually made a joke. He always had thought he was a bit of a stick in the mud in school. He wondered what else he’d been wrong about. 

Harry chuckled, thinking about Luna’s odd vision of fashion. “You know…” he pulled out his key card and slid it into the lock and let them both in his room. “Luna is prettier than most of the girls I used to photograph. She never lost things, though. That was the other girls taking her things. She never got mad, always took it in jest and still they teased her.” Harry shook his head and tossed the card on the table by the door. 

“She’s great now, has a husband and twin boys.” He noticed Draco taking in the room and came up to face his side. “I still could dress for dinner if you think I’m under dressed.” Harry gave Draco a big grin and waggled his eyebrows.

Draco turned his face to Harry and the smile that had been tugging at his lips, curled across his face. “You’d dress up? Just for me?” he mused, voice soft and teasing. “How charming.”

He was moving a second later, shrugging out of his coat and folding it across his arm as he made his way across the sitting room. “I’m not exactly dressed for an evening out at a nice restaurant either. Besides, it’ll be quieter here. I do hate trying to talk over other people’s chatter.”

Harry burst into laughter. He couldn’t help it. “You arrogant arse.” He calmed his laughter down to quiet snickers and moved forward to take Draco’s coat. “Allow me.” He took the coat back to the foyer and hung it on the coat tree then picked up the menu on the table. “I think dining in will prove to be a lot more fun. I get the feeling you turn all stuffed shirt in a nice restaurant,” he teased on his way back to hand Draco the menu. 

“How about I fix us some drinks and you call down for whatever you want? I’ll have the same. Like I said… I like everything on the menu. Now, what can I fix you to drink?”

“Vodka on the rocks for me thanks,” Draco replied as he sat down on the sofa to look over the menu. “And letting me order for you already, Potter? You’re not one of those old fashioned girls are you?”

Draco cocked an eyebrow up, though his eyes stayed firmly planted on the menu. This was all very out of character for him, joking about with a bloke he barely knew. Perhaps he’d been in need of an old familiar face as well. Someone that didn’t travel in the same circles and expect from him what everyone else did.

Harry was certainly surprised and happy he’d seen Draco on the bridge. “Yeah, that’s me alright. Old fashioned bird who expects you to hold the door. I’m letting you make up for missing that one by ordering dinner,” Harry called over his shoulder as he bent behind the small bar for the Vodka. 

He took off his camera and placed it on the bar, then opened the ice chest and pulled out the bucket of perfect cubes. He had that brief thought of; _how the hell do they get them so square_ , before he picked up the tongs and threw some of the ice in a glass. He heard Draco ordering as he poured his vodka and was about to put it back, but decided to leave it on top of the bar for easy refills. For himself, he grabbed a beer and went to join Draco in the sitting room. 

“Not going to hold my chair out either? You’re losing points, Draco,” Harry said with a wink as he handed him his drink and sat down in the chair opposite him.

“Terribly sorry,” Draco replied as he took his glass. “My manners seemed to have abandoned me this evening. I’ll make sure to make up for it once our food gets here.” He sipped at his drink and was pleased with the choice of Vodka. It was smooth and went down with just the right amount of burn. Draco settled back further onto the sofa and crossed an ankle over his knee.

“So tell me about this book you’re going to be making. Is it going to showcase all of your work thus far, or just the highlights?”

Harry took a drink from his beer and settled back as well. “They’re wanting to publish a book for each country I visit. Which right now most of my stuff is in Europe but… I don’t know; there’s just a different feel to different parts of different countries. That’s some of what I want to discuss with them.” 

Harry stood and went to the writing desk and picked up his portfolio of his recent trip to Egypt. “Here are some shots I took in Egypt. I just feel like there’s more to it than pretty pictures and location. I want them to separate it a certain way, the way I see it. Maybe I’m just being too picky over my work.” He handed the portfolio to Draco then sat back down.

“You can never be too picky about your own work,” Draco responded and flipped open the front cover of the portfolio. “It’s your name attached to it after all. It’s your vision and you should lay it out how you see it. Too many opinions in the pot and suddenly it’s not yours anymore.”

His eyes scanned over the images of Egypt lain out before him and a wistful smile curled at his lips. Draco had visited Egypt three times and no culture had ever intrigued him more. Just the architecture alone had captured him. Everything about the Egyptians had been lush and full and decadent. Harry’s photos captured that. They weren’t just family vacation shots shoved in a clear wrapper. The pictures had depth and feeling, almost as though the warmth of the sun itself spilled out from them. 

“These are astounding, Harry. You do have quite the eye.” The next page that Draco turned showed him two shots of the Temple of Karnak in Luxor and his fingers brushed over the pages. In all his travels, this had been the one place that he could have stayed for hours, forgetting everything else. 

“Karnak,” he murmured, his eyes taking in every tiny detail of both photographs. “The last time I was there I promised myself I’d go back at least once a year, just to remind myself what inspired me to do what I do. My parents took me to Egypt one summer when I was a child and we visited this temple. I was awestruck. I spent hours upon hours just wondering around, memorizing every small nook and cranny. I knew I wanted to be an architect then. I wanted to design places like this that would inspire people as soon as they laid their eyes upon it. I went back again during University and then once more when I started my business.”

Draco ran his fingers over the images again and his smile turned a little sad, but was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “It’s amazing how the little things get swept away when your business demands all of your time.”

Harry smiled and picked up his beer to take another drink. He didn’t dig about the sad smile he had seen cross Draco’s face. “You are doing what you always wanted, Draco. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you really should make sure to take time for yourself. Why work so hard if you can’t enjoy the extras life has to offer?” 

Harry leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees and really looked at the man across from him. Draco had always been so serious in school, he’d been the type Harry had always thought didn’t know how to have any fun. He had seen a different Draco Malfoy peek through and he wanted to see more of it.

Draco looked over to Harry and studied him for a moment. The eyes behind the glasses were green and warm and bright and full of a life that had been lived in the moment. He wondered if Harry had ever felt trapped by his life and if he had, he wondered if what he did now was his escape from it.

He smiled, closed the portfolio and crossed his hands over the top of it. “I have a lifestyle to support, Harry. That’s the honest truth of it. I enjoy my life and the pleasures that come along with it. I enjoy my rather extravagant flat in London, my cars, my clothes, dining at the finest restaurants, and these wonderful little business trips I get to take. It’s even more enjoyable knowing that I make the money for all of it doing something I love. My business is successful because I refuse for it to be anything but. The rest will come in time I suppose.”

“Touché,” Harry replied and leaned back in his chair. There was something more to Draco than the list he’d just rattled off. He knew that he hadn’t imagined it. What he’d just said was probably the cardboard cutout of every other rich guy he’d gone to school with. That playfulness that he’d seen earlier hinted that he was not the same as the others. The sad wistful smile confirmed it. He wondered what it would take to make him really break out of the proper exterior he was accustomed to. 

“I have to admit, it’s a lot nicer having money than not. That’s why this hotel. Yeah I chose it for the name, but look at me; I don’t exactly fit the decor. Doesn’t mean I don’t like it or appreciate it. Eh, I guess I got lucky as well. I get to do something I love, make money and see and go wherever I want without anyone to answer to.” 

Harry lifted his beer. “To doing what we love.”

“Oh I don’t know, Harry,” Draco stated as he raised his glass, “I think you fit quite nicely with the décor.” There was something in his voice, that teasing, flirtatious tone that came when he was laying on the charm for a pretty face. 

Harry was handsome, not ruggedly so, but Draco had no doubt that the man turned many a head. The shaggy, shoulder length black hair was messy, and it fit the carefree state of his personality. The glasses gave him a nudge in the direction of almost distinguished, like one of those professors on the telly that all the kids thought was cool. The faded denims he wore fit perfectly and were complimented by the loose, dark green button-down. He was a gorgeous package wrapped up in a pretty room in an expensive hotel.

Draco wasn’t shy about what he liked or what he wanted. He’d towed the line for his father and his family with Pansy, but even then there had been a man that had graced his bed from time to time. Pansy’d had her own little flings on the side and they’d both been happy. She’d gone and fallen in love though; some barrister that had offered her the moon and Draco had simply been too busy to notice that she’d gone. No hard feelings, just a clean break and the ‘I hope you’re happy’ conversation. They were friends and the only thing that he’d ever loved was his career.

“So are landscapes all you shoot? I’d imagine you’d make twice the money if you expanded a bit.”

“I made my start up money shooting models. I’d have to be really hard pressed to do that again. Don’t get me wrong, I made more than enough money to not only start up my own work, but enough to put away for a rainy day. I’ve been lucky enough to only add to it instead of break into it. I’ve shot some wildlife as well as landscapes, but that’s about all I’ll do.” 

There was a knock on the door and Harry stood up and let in the waiter. He watched Draco as their waiter set up their dinners and uncorked the wine. The waiter looked confused when he poured the sample and Harry gestured to Draco. 

Harry enjoyed watching him; it was like a ballet. Each move was graceful and he exuded a confidence that money couldn’t buy. With a distinguished nod, Draco approved the wine and Harry smiled at how elegant he was and then let the waiter out. 

Harry sat down and chuckled. “You… fit the decor perfectly.”

Draco took his own seat at the table and shook out his linen napkin to place it in his lap. “Yes well, I suppose it helps having been born into it,” he replied. “I was groomed to fit the lifestyle. The way I carry myself, the way I dress and conduct my affairs, it all reflects back on my family. Once you’ve been trained, it’s not difficult to blend into any situation.” He smiled at Harry and filled both of their wine glasses. “Or standout if need be.”

After replacing the bottle on the table, Draco let his fingers rest on the slender stem of his wine glass as he studied Harry. “So what comes after Rome? Where’s home?”

“Home?” Harry replied with an arch of his brow and a heavy exhale. “London is still home. Though I’m sure my flat is covered in dust. I haven’t been there in…” Harry stopped and had to think about it. Before Italy he’d been in Egypt, before Egypt he’d been in Africa. “I think it’s been four months since I’ve been home.”

Harry leaned forward, picked up his napkin, laid it in his lap a little clumsily, and then he reached for the wine and took a drink. It was hearty and slid down his throat like velvet. “Mmm.” He did love a good Italian wine. 

“As for after Rome… I was thinking Greece. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“Greece is lovely,” Draco replied. “Athens of course is always a pleasure, but I’m partial to Argalasti myself. The architecture there is simply stunning, the town is charming, and the people were most welcoming. I stayed in a little villa there. Wonderful place.” 

He took a sip of his wine, then replaced the glass and picked up his knife and fork. He’d ordered Stracotto served over a bed of soft polenta and the smell of the food drifting up to his nose caused his mouth to water. He speared a bit of the beef on his fork and some of the vegetables then hummed a little when the flavors hit his tongue. Harry was right; the food really was quite good.

Harry withheld the need to laugh; Draco had slipped into the old Draco and sounded as though he were telling him about his holiday over a round of golf. He took a bite of his food and echoed Draco’s sated hum.

“Tell me, Draco… what kind of trouble do you like getting into?

Draco finished chewing around an amused chuckle. He tilted his head a little after looking over to Harry and couldn’t help but turn and look about the room as well. “You’ve not got a recorder going somewhere do you? Someone taking short hand in a closet? Because there are more than a few burning ears that would love the answer to that question as well.”

“No, no recording devices or secretaries in the cupboard.” Harry took another bite and then a sip of wine to enhance the flavor and it was undeniably one of the best meals he’d had at the hotel. He mused over what kind of trouble he could help the prim and proper Draco Malfoy get into while he swallowed. 

“I’ve packed my Nikon already. I could set it up for video if you’re feeling randy,” he teased and waggled his eyebrows at him.

One perfectly manicured eyebrow arched on Draco’s forehead, but his smile was no longer amused or soft. His expression was that of a man whose thoughts had gone far beyond naughty and playful. “Careful, Harry. You could very well _be_ my kind of trouble.”

Harry felt his prick twitch with interest and his neck and face heat with more than the wine. He licked his lips and leaned forward to rest his arm on the table. 

“Really?” Harry asked, letting his own amused tone deepen into something more lascivious. He let his eyes travel down what he could see of Draco’s body and suddenly about a million different ways to get into trouble were assaulting his brain. 

“I think I’d like that. No… I’m sure I’d bloody love that.”

“Would you now?” Draco murmured and wondered if a bit of play would fit into his plans. Harry was gorgeous, there were no strings, and it was now more than clear that the man was interested. What was a shag between old school mates?

He brought his napkin to his lips, pat them once and then set the napkin down beside his plate. Draco’s food was forgotten as he pushed his chair back enough to stand and then rounded the table. One hand went to rest on the back of Harry’s chair and the other grasped the man’s chin light enough not to bruise, but firmly enough that he could guide him up out of his seat.

The heat in his own body was rising and Draco licked his lips as he steered Harry back towards the wall. His hand found Harry’s hip, clamped down on it and he dug his fingers in. “How rough do you play, Harry?” he asked, his lips pressed close to the man’s ear and his voice no more than a whisper.

Harry swallowed hard and let out a soft groan at Draco’s question. The desire to rip Draco’s clothes from him was overwhelming and it had been a few months since he’d been with anyone. His needs were waking every part of his body to the promise of what Draco was offering. 

Both of his hands lifted, grabbed hold of Draco’s hips and yanked him into him. His prick was hard now and he thrust his hips forward into Draco’s. “As hard as you want,” Harry whispered in reply.

Draco smiled and let out a pleased groan. The friction of Harry’s hardened arousal against his own waking one was doing wonders for driving the need to simply fuck the man blind right off the charts. His lips brushed across the rough, sandpaper line of Harry’s stubbled jaw. Draco ground into him, forced him back harder against the wall and snapped his hips up. 

Draco’s hands moved quickly, gathered up his companion’s and he pinned them above Harry’s head. He thrust again, his prick swelling full and hard. Draco nipped at the edge of Harry’s jaw and then darted his tongue out to lick a line from the small hurt to the satiny lobe of Harry’s ear. The hand at Harry’s hip moved and Draco stopped grinding into him long enough to tear open the front of his denims.

It was at that very moment that Draco’s mobile let out a loud ring from his jacket pocket. He paused, looked in the direction of the ringing and sighed. “Bloody hell.”

Harry was there; at that moment where he could forget everything else. It was like when he was behind the lens and the perfect light hit, everything else faded and it was him and his camera. Though at the moment, it was him and Draco and… Another ring and Harry dropped his head back against the wall.

“I suppose you have to answer that," he said more than a little breathless.

Another long sigh and Draco nodded. “Forgive me, yes,” he replied and let Harry go so that he could turn and walk over to his jacket to grab his phone. The number on the LCD was flashing the name of the man he’d come to Venice to see. 

“Buongiorno, Signoré Cavallo. Come sta?” he answered and turned to walk back over to Harry. He listened as Cavallo rambled off a list of questions and concerns he had, now that he’d been able to think about Draco’s proposal. His hand, however, was stroking slowly up and down Harry’s side beneath his shirt. He answered with a _Sì_ here and there and with as detailed an explanation as he could give for other questions. Then Cavallo decided that he wanted to do one last walk through of the project with Draco before he left. Draco’s face fell and his hand stilled on Harry’s side.

“Non c'è problema, Signoré Cavallo. A presto,” he told the man and the call ended a moment later. He looked apologetically at Harry. “I’m sorry. I have to go. My client would like to do another walk-through of the theater before I leave in the morning. If I want the job, there’s no way I can turn him down.”

Harry let out a shuddering breath and closed his eyes. “Alright.” 

He was disappointed of course, but he understood. He opened his eyes and brought his hands up to Draco’s chest. He looked into the man’s gray eyes and held them as long as he could while he summoned the nerve to ask him what he’d been meaning to for the last half hour. He knew he’d sound like a bit of a bird, but he didn’t care. “I leave in the morning. Do you have to be in Rome tomorrow or could it wait a few weeks?”

Draco’s eyebrow arched at the question. “I have meetings planned all week and my conference starts the week after. Why?”

“I could use a driving partner. Someone to keep me company. I have to be in Rome in a little over two weeks. Up for an adventure?” Harry knew Draco wouldn’t go, but he thought he’d ask anyway. He wanted him to go. But after hearing that he’d put off something he’d wanted for work, he didn’t imagine running into an old classmate would be valid enough reason to blow off work.

It was a request that Draco hadn’t expected to hear. “You want me to drive all over Italy with you?” he asked, amused and still turned on enough to seriously consider it. He couldn’t though. Draco wasn’t going to Rome on vacation. He was going to work and work couldn’t be ignored. 

“Mmm, as tempting as both the offer and you are, I can’t, Harry. I’m sorry. My meetings are important to my business and so is the conference. And I really am sorry about tonight.”

Harry smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Maybe we can meet up when I get there.” Harry pushed himself away from the wall and lifted a hand to cup Draco’s face. “We’ll hopefully have time to get into trouble one night.” He gave him another waggle of his brows then leaned forward to kiss the corner of his mouth.

Draco chuckled at the statement, placed one hand at the small of Harry’s back and dipped his head down to kiss the side of the man’s neck. “I would like that,” he answered, then brought his lips up to his ear. “I’ll see you in Rome, Harry.”

He stepped back, gave Harry a parting smile and then turned to gather up his jacket and leave.

Harry smiled in return and watched Draco leave. He fell back against the wall with a heavy sigh and growled. He hoped he could last until Rome. Looking at the closed door, he let out a shaky laugh and went to take a cold shower.

 

*****

 

After a long night of amazing dreams concerning a certain blond, Harry was awoken by his morning courtesy call. He told the host that he would still be checking out and his bags were by the door. The Concierge had arranged to have a rental car delivered and it was waiting in front of the hotel. Harry knew that there would be maps and a cooler full of drinks as well as his lunch. He would definitely be returning to the hotel. 

He took a shower and when he got out he found breakfast waiting for him and his bags gone. He smiled and sat down to eat. Harry’s eyes stayed transfixed on the wall Draco had had him against the night before. He couldn’t remember a time he’d been so turned on. He never would have guessed back in school that he would have nearly had Draco Malfoy shagging him against a wall in a hotel in Italy. Hopefully, he wouldn’t get to Rome too late to catch Draco before he left for London. 

After getting dressed, he packed his nightclothes and gave one last look at the room. He’d also have to request this same room next time. With a smile, he shook his head and left to go downstairs to checkout.

Harry left a considerable tip for the exmobileent service and asked that he be put on their list of returning guests for the room if they had one. The Concierge was more than willing to add him, then handed him the keys to his car. “Buona Fortuna, Signoré Potter.” 

Harry repeated the sentiment and headed for the glass doors. He could see the black SUV and he smiled to see what was waiting for him. Draco smiled back. 

He’d packed the night before, called his assistant Korrine to make sure that all of the arrangements had been checked and double checked for Rome, and not once had he been able to shake the thought of Harry’s offer. Draco had been able to relax around the man with an ease that was difficult with most others. There was an attraction there and the possibility of that deliciously slow build into something fantastic.

Those thoughts and more had kept Draco tossing and turning all night. When he awoke the next morning, it was to a very different set of plans. He’d called Korrine, had her rearrange his schedule for the week, and canceled his attendance for the conference. Part of him did regret that he’d miss it, but the rest of him just didn’t care. After the arrangements had been changed, he’d had a car brought round to take him and his things to Harry’s hotel. A two week trip would do him some good.

Harry opened the door and walked out into the bright morning sun, straight to Draco and stood in front of him. “I hope this means you’re ready for an adventure and a little trouble.” 

“Well,” Draco made a show of looking down at his watch and then back up again. “It does seem that I’ve missed my flight. I suppose I’ll be needing a lift to Rome after all. A bit of trouble along the way would not be unwelcome.”

He slipped a hand beneath Harry’s shirt and found the warm, smooth skin at his side. If he were in London, public displays such as this were an absolute no. Draco worked very hard to keep his private life and his tastes exactly that, private. Here in Italy though, perhaps he could afford to let himself go a bit.

“So where exactly are you stealing me off to first?”

Harry placed a hand on the window next to Draco’s head and leaned in so that his lips brushed the shell of Draco’s ear. “Stealing you?” Harry teased with a slight hint of timbre to his voice. “I think for now… I want you to lose control. Just relax and don’t think. Just do. Let me surprise you.” 

Harry had the overwhelming urge to lick along the shell until he sucked the lobe into his mouth. He didn’t. The urge was there, but he practiced an iron control that he didn’t know he possessed. 

“I’m not accustomed to surprises or losing control,” Draco replied and brushed his thumb across Harry’s skin. “I’ll trust you though. Just this once.” He gave Harry’s side a light squeeze and turned his face so that their lips were dangerously close. “Shall we go?”

Harry’s eyes flickered down to Draco’s lips then back up to the man’s sunglasses. “Definitely.” Another look to the man’s lips and Harry backed away slowly, then opened the passenger door for Draco and headed around to the driver’s side. He climbed in and put on his seatbelt then started the car. “I think this trip is going to be one of my favorites. Ready?”

Draco buckled his seatbelt, settled back in the seat, and turned to give Harry a smile. “As I’ll ever be.”

 

*****

 

It had been five days on the road and Harry had already gone through fifteen rolls of film and a 4 gb card. They’d visited Veneto, Trento, Pieve, and Bergamo. They were on their way to Lake Como for a much needed day off for Harry. He knew he’d still take pictures, but he wanted to have a little fun this time. A day on a boat sounded wonderful and Draco had mentioned he liked sailing. 

Nothing had happened between the two of them other than a lot of flirting. Harry didn’t mind, but had to admit to never having tossed off so much in his life. Well… at least not since school. Over the last few days though, he’d discovered Draco was a lot of fun and very easy to talk to; which had led to their current conversation.

“So when did you first know you liked blokes as well as birds, if not better?” Harry asked. He was turned in the passenger seat and watching Draco drive. He had a sneaking suspicion he’d figured out where they were going, but all Harry would tell him was when to turn. He liked surprising him. Draco’s face was beautiful when he was truly surprised.

“I’ve known since school,” Draco replied and propped his elbow in the window sill. “When you start paying more attention to your dorm mates undressing rather than what they’re actually saying, I’d say it’s fairly obvious that your intentions aren’t completely innocent. As for the first time I knew… I suppose I was about thirteen. It was the beginning of year nine and one of my friend’s older brothers was head of our dorm. We were in the stables, brushing down the horses, and I couldn’t help but notice how fit he looked in his riding gear. He caught me staring.”

A wry smile found its way onto Draco’s face and he shot a momentary glance at Harry before looking back out at the road. “What about you?”

Harry pulled up his right leg and draped his arm across it. “I suppose around the same time. I was spending time in boathouse two on the rowing machine most days. One time I left a little early for a paper I had to finish and caught Dean and Seamus snogging. I wasn’t exactly turned off.” Harry laughed at the memory.

“Those two begged me for days not to tell anyone. I got out of a lot of dorm cleanings because they just did it to keep me quiet. Of course, by year ten they were shagging and Ron and I were left out in the hallway many a times because that sodding hat was on the door knob. There were times I know all of us listened to them trying to be quiet in the middle of the night. I was tossing off morning, noon, and night.”

“So this chap that caught you staring… Anything happen there?”

Draco was still chuckling at Harry’s story and had nothing but empathy for the situation. He’d had to find somewhere to sleep more than a few nights himself. Of course, it hadn’t been because his dorm mates had been shagging each other though.

“No,” he finally answered. “Nothing happened. Unless you count him snatching me up by my jumper, threatening to beat the daylights out of me and calling me a perv. I nearly pissed myself. I didn’t actually fool around with another bloke until year eleven. I was away at an Equestrian show. There were other schools there. No stables this time. We just happened to be housed at the same hotel and he was across the hall from me. There was a bit of heavy snogging, we tossed each other off, and that was that.” 

“You held out longer than I did. The summer between year nine and ten I started fooling around with one of the blokes on the Footy team. We both kept it under wraps. He wasn’t ready for anyone to know he liked blokes. It was on and off a lot.” Harry rolled his eyes to look out the windshield. He wasn’t angry at him any longer, just felt sorry for him.

“And who was this Footy bloke?” Draco asked and swapped arms, bringing the hand that had been propped in the window to the wheel and stretching the other arm out to drape over the back of Harry’s seat. 

Harry looked at Draco and knew he could trust him not to say anything. His ex had a life, a wife and he wanted to keep his more interesting lifestyle a secret. “Cedric Diggory,” Harry replied.

Draco snorted and shook his head. “Toss pot,” he mumbled. “I can’t believe Mr. Perfect is a closet poof. Figures.”

“I thought he was going to come out after I left school. We dated for a while, but ultimately he wasn’t ready and ended up marrying Cho. She’s a sweet bird and really it’s her I feel sorry for. Cedric has no idea what he wants or even who he is. After that Ginny and I got together… again, but she wants a life I can’t give her. And I know I prefer men, she deserves a better life than Cho’s.”

“How long did the two of you, Ginny and you, stay together before you knew it wasn’t going to work?”

“The last time?” Harry asked and got a nod in return. “Last time was almost a year. I was gone most of it though. I didn’t fuck around, but there were some times when my will was so fucking weak… I kept trying to break it off; she wants kids and a home… Things I’m not sure I want. Not right now. Maybe not ever. Maybe just not with her. I just know that what I want she can’t give me.” 

Harry felt bad for what he’d done to Gin. She was a hell of an awesome bird. Probably why it was so easy for him to be with her when he was. “What about you? You and Pansy still friends? You two were always so close during school.”

Draco nodded. “Pans and I are still friends. In fact, she’s getting married in the fall and I’m giving her away. It should be odd; don’t you think… your ex-husband giving you away to your new one? Odd but fitting at least. I love her, she loves me, but just not in the way we were supposed to. We spent six years tied to each other, barely slept in the same bed, and always had someone else on the side to distract us.” 

He snorted softly. “She always said that I was married to my work. Told me that there would never be room for anything or anyone else. She said she adored me, wanted me happy, but made me promise to never, ever, think about getting married again. I’m not suited for it.”

“You’re lucky to have her. She seems like an amazing woman.” Harry turned and reached behind him to pull a few waters out of the cooler. He opened Draco’s, then recapped it and set it in his cup holder then opened his own and took a drink. “Our turn is coming up. Figured out where we’re headed?”

Draco nodded and hummed softly. “Would you like for me to pretend to be surprised anyway?” he asked and shot Harry a playful grin. “I can ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ and tell you how devilishly cunning you are. I’ve been told I can be quite believable when I want to be.”

“As tempting as it is, I think I’d see the difference. Besides… I think I might still have a surprise for you. I’m sure you’re about sick to death of watching me work. This stop is for enjoyment alone. The only visually pleasing thing I want to see is you.” 

Harry watched Draco’s profile. He’d done that a lot in the past few days. He could see his face in perfect clarity without looking at him. He’d memorized the slope of his nose, the curve of his cheek and the slight pout to his bottom lip. Draco’s face was in a word… perfect and he could stare at it all day.

“Well,” Draco mused, yet another smile curling at his lips. “That shouldn’t be too difficult. I’m always visually pleasing. And I’ve not been bored watching you work. In fact, I’ve gotten quite a bit of work done myself.” 

“You are too beautiful for your own good. Or mine for that matter.” Harry pulled out the map and looked at the crumpled up directions he had in his pocket. The Villa was not far from where they were by the looks of it. 

“Turn left up ahead and there should be road a few kilometers in on the right. No name, just a road. Turn there. Then you’ll get your surprise.”

Draco did as he was told, following Harry’s directions until they pulled into the large circular drive of a rather stunning villa. He cut the engine on the Cruiser, pulled the keys from the ignition, and then climbed out. The villa was tucked back into the side of a hill, surrounded by a lush, green forest, overlooking Lake Como. Surrounding the property was a high stone wall, with a short wrought-iron trellis running the length of the top. There was a fountain in the center of the circular drive, nothing grand, but then… how many people actually had fountains in their front yards?

“This is lovely, Harry. Yours or are we renting?”

“A perk. From my publisher. The kitchen should be fully stocked, the boat fueled, though it’s a sail boat… I don’t get it… why have an engine on a sailboat? Anyway, the bar is fully stocked as well and we have free run of the wine cellar. The key should be under the mat and the alarm code is 819687. I think I’ve outdone myself,” Harry finished a little smugly while moving to the back to gather their bags.

Draco chuckled loudly and moved to help him. “In case there is no wind, Harry. You wouldn’t want to get stuck out on the water somewhere would you? Drifting is fine if you’re not in any sort of hurry. If a storm rolls in though, you’ll be wanting that engine.”

He gathered up his bags, smiled at Harry and then looked back to the house. “And yes, you have outdone yourself. Does your publisher loan out his house to everyone? I suppose the master suit is off limits. There aren’t many men very secure in the thought of another man having sex in their bed. And let’s face it, a place like this, and all the beautiful people here… I don’t imagine any guest would stay solitary for long.”

“I can’t imagine that man having any unattractive guests,” Harry admitted. The publisher had chased him down and met him in Egypt. The man was very attractive, very young and very wealthy. The only thing that had kept Harry from trying to get in his pants was the fact that they might be working together. He had never really worked with anyone, but the stories he’d heard of shagging co-workers were never good.

“He didn’t give us any restrictions. He said there was a cleaning service and outside of wrecking the place just to have fun. I get the sneaking suspicion he lends this house out to more than a few of his prospective clients.” 

They walked up to the main door; Harry lifted the mat for the key and opened it. He let Draco in and then went to the wall to disarm the alarm system. “By the way, I row. Never been on a boat that was big enough to require sails or an engine. Smart arse.” 

Harry laughed and saw a note on the table under the alarm pad addressed to him. 

_Mr. Potter,_

_I hope you enjoy your stay. The house is at you and your friends disposal and should you need anything feel free to call. There is a surprise waiting for you in the boathouse. I’ll see you in Rome._

_Regards,_

_Mr. Edgars_

“Well… Want to go check it out? Then we can roam the house?”

Draco set his bags down in the foyer and let his eyes roam over what he could see of the beginnings of the house. It was elegantly decorated with bright splashes of rich color here and there. The walls of the foyer were a smooth cream color, but he could see a deep red in one of the adjoining rooms. The floor was marbled, cream, gray, and white which accented the walls perfectly. At the entryway center sat a large, round, wooden table, glossed to a perfect finished and it held a huge arrangement of fresh flowers.

Matching sideboard tables sat along the walls to the left and right and at their centers, hanging on the wall, were two antique mirrors. An exquisite chandelier finished off the décor and Draco felt as though he’d just walked into the home of one of his father’s old friends. Whoever Harry’s publisher was, the man was very well off and either had impeccable taste or employed someone who did.

Draco turned his attention to Harry, having heard him, but not answered. “Yes, sorry. Let’s go see your surprise,” he replied with a smile. “And you need to expand your horizons, Harry. Think about all the fun you could have on a larger boat. The engine and sails do all the work and you have time to… find a better use for your hands.” He placed his own hands on Harry’s hips at the last part, then let them slide slowly around to his lower back. 

Harry arched his brow and lifted his hands to slide up Draco’s chest to rest on his shoulders. When he’d first seen Draco waiting for him that morning, he had to admit he was thinking about shagging him as soon as possible. Then… They talked, laughed, joked, and he found himself becoming friends with Draco. He thought maybe it was the same for both of them, because neither of them went past teasing like that first night in Venice. He still wanted him and dreamt of him and yes tossed off to thoughts of him, but he was unsure what would happen when they actually shagged. If they actually shagged. 

“Better use for your hands than rowing?” Harry asked in a teasing tone. “And what uses would there be other than pushing and pulling?”

Draco’s smile turned devilish and he backed Harry up slowly against the closest wall. “Pushing and pulling is acceptable, depending upon what you’re actually doing,” he murmured and tilted his head in so that his lips were just brushing against the man’s ear.

“On a sailboat though, there’s plenty of room to stretch out. And while you’re relaxed, I can think of plenty of things to pull on… or push into. There’s not all of this business of just going forwards and backwards either. There’s up and down as well and the up and down, I have learned, can be most enjoyable.”

Harry’s heart was hammering out a furious staccato in his ears and his prick was delighted that they were back in the position that had been interrupted that first night. He wasn’t hard yet, but he could literally feel all the blood in his body rushing south. 

“Sounds brilliant,” Harry said; knowing his voice was more than a little breathless. His eyes rolled and he fought to keep from either fisting his hand in the material of Draco’s shirt or grinding up against him. Moaning was hard to keep back as well. “You’ll have to show me, sometime.”

“If our host’s boat is as impressive as his house is, I just might,” Draco whispered and then pulled back with a pleased, cocky grin. “I do believe you had a surprise waiting for you down in the boat house. Shall we?”

Harry chuckled and reached down to adjust himself. “You’re bloody torture, you know that?” He laughed again and made his way through the house. His eyes barely took in his surroundings because all he could focus on was Draco’s body and how close it was. He only noticed a bit of furniture with the thought of, ‘ _I could just throw him on that and shag him senseless’_ or… ‘ _That sofa would work perfect, I could lay back and let him just fuck me until I couldn’t walk_ ’.

They made it to the back doors without Harry molesting Draco and when he opened them, he felt a warm breeze coming in off the lake. It brought memories and a smile to his face. He loved the smell of a lake or river. Thoughts of Draco were now infused with what it felt like to be out on the water. 

“It’s gorgeous here.” For once Harry’s hands weren’t reaching for his camera. Which was good because it was still inside with his suitcase. Instead, he took in the glorious view and the long winding stair down to the boathouse. They both seemed to be taking in their surroundings in silence. It was nice to be able to enjoy something without having to talk out the ambience. 

When they reached the boathouse, Harry opened the door to find a beautiful Oxford sliding seat Shell. Harry glanced at Draco with a huge smile and moved quickly over to it. “She’s beautiful.” He ran his hand down the length and felt the urge to pull her down and take her out.

Draco watched Harry with his gift and couldn’t help but wonder about the man that had given it to him. If he didn’t know better, didn’t know that publishers did this sort of thing to lure clients, he would have questioned whether or not the man had a thing for Harry. The gift did have that sentimental feel to it though and for a simple book on landscapes? Perhaps the man did have a bit of a fascination with him. 

He leaned in against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest casually. “Are you sure that your publisher doesn’t have any plans on joining you for your time here?” he asked, one eyebrow arched with the question.

The smile on Harry’s face couldn’t be shaken and he turned from the shell to look at Draco with one hand still lifted and caressing the cedar wood. “I’m fairly certain he’s not planning on joining us,” Harry said. He didn’t think he should tell Draco that his conversation with the man the day before had gone along the lines of Harry letting him know that he was not alone for the trip. 

“I didn’t know that he knew I rowed. You don’t think this is meant as a gift, do you? I mean surely it’s just something he rented for while I’m here.” Harry didn’t think that Mr. Edgars had made any overtures when they had met.

“You’re a potential client, Harry, and he wants you to sign the deal. Of course he knows you rowed in school. I’d imagine that there is very little the man doesn’t know about you. It’s what we do,” Draco replied and looked from Harry to the rowing slip.

“I’d buy it for you,” he stated matter-of-factly and looked back to him. “If I really wanted you.”

Harry looked back up at the shell and gave it one last swipe of his hand before leaving it to stand in front of Draco. “You know… My first showing I sold a black and white of a St. Bernard’s Lily for £25,000. The lily was in the middle of a field, nothing else around it and it glowed. I changed my lens to a 90-105mm Macro and sat there for over a half an hour for the light to be perfect…” 

As much as Harry had felt the urge to row, he now felt the urge to pack up and leave. “I knew the house was a gesture to try and get me to sign, but that…” Harry’s head jerked in the direction of the shell. “I won’t be bought. I have my own money.”

Draco unfolded his arms and brought one hand up to cup Harry’s cheek. “Then you are one of the few. I’ve not met a man or woman yet that didn’t want to be wined and dined. Clients, business associates, lovers… they all want something. Though it’s not about buying you, Harry. It’s about winning you and showing you how much he and his publishing house want you. He is simply trying to show you what they can do for you, what they can offer you if you chose them. Either that or he wants to show you what _he_ can do for you.”

His thumb brushed across Harry’s cheek. “You have a gift, Harry. A talent with a lens. They want that. They want you. And this is their way of showing you that. Don’t be offended. It’s just the way men like us think. It’s just good business.”

Draco touching him calmed Harry, but the anger he felt was still boiling his blood and he knew that it was reflected in his eyes. “I’m not a whore. I may sell my work, but if he thinks that something like this would get my name on his list of clients or my arse in his bed he’s sorely mistaken. I don’t know how I’m supposed to take this? I mean, if he knows about me then he knows I grew up poor with no family in a home. Does he think that I would just fall all over myself so I can take his scraps?” 

Harry growled and reached into his pocket for his mobile phone. He didn’t get angry often, but when he did, it was hard to shake it. Being treated like a whore was not something he was used to. His hands were shaking as he flipped open the phone and started scrolling for Mr. Edgars’ number.

Draco quickly pulled the mobile from Harry's hand and snapped it shut. "Calm down, Harry. No one is treating you like a whore. They are gestures, nothing more. Perks, as you put it before."

He tucked Harry's phone into his pocket and placed his hands on his shoulders. "If he knows that you used to row, then he knows other things about you as well. Including, how comfortable you are. I don't think he's attempting to insult you, Harry. He's simply trying to show you how much they want you."

“The boat is too much. I won’t take it,” Harry’s voice was firm and no matter how much he loved the idea of getting in the water, he knew he just wouldn’t be able to. His eyes held firmly onto Draco’s calm gray gaze and he took a deep breath. 

“I should let you handle my dealings with this man. I don’t know that I can keep a level head and speak to him.”

Draco’s chuckle was a deep one this time and he moved his hands from Harry’s shoulders to the man’s hips so that he could tug him closer. “I’m to be your agent now?” he mused. “Sounds like you’re planning on keeping me, Harry. Honestly, he’s just doing his job. You can’t be angry with him for that. I’m no different you know. Will you be angry like this with me someday as well?”

Just like that Harry’s anger was gone. Normally it took time alone and a night out getting pissed for him to get over the kind of anger he’d felt. This time it was him pushing Draco into the wall and he stepped in as close as he could without them touching. Both his hands were on the wall behind him and he leaned forward so there was nowhere for either to look but one another’s eyes. 

“Maybe I am stealing you and going to keep you to myself,” Harry said and dropped one hand to ghost his fingers down Draco’s cheek.

The thought, for a moment, was very appealing. Draco hadn’t had a steady lover since Pansy and even then… their sex life hadn’t been that amazing. Even the lovers he’d taken to his bed while they’d been married, none ever lasted more than a few weeks at the very most.

The attraction was there. People were daft if they thought it took any real time to lust after someone, nor did it take months to feel a connection. Draco felt at ease with Harry. He’d happily start an affair with him despite the few days they’d actually spent together. And Draco was realistic about the situation. He had been trying to get in Harry’s pants since the first night after all. Harry, however, was far too free a spirit and far too proud to ever really fit into Draco’s life. And he’d likely punch him for what he was about to say.

“Mmm,” he hummed and tugged Harry in tight against him. “Does that mean you’ll let me take you home to London with me once our business in Rome in concluded? Hmm?” Draco placed a light, chaste kiss to Harry’s bottom lip. “You’d let me pamper you? I could set you up in my flat and we could turn yours into a studio. We’ll take my boat out on weekends; I could buy you a dozen of those little shells if you want. And whenever your publisher calls, you just let me deal with him. I’ll make sure that he knows you’re no longer on the market for anything other than your book deal. He can find someone else to play with.”

Just like that, Harry’s anger was back. He pulled his head away from Draco’s and pushed off from the wall. “I thought you were different than those prats we went to school with, Draco.” Harry’s blood was back to boiling and he fisted his hands at his sides. He really thought Draco was different. He didn’t know if he wanted to yell at him or toss his arse in the lake. 

“I’m no toy to be tossed around. People born with money don’t seem to realize that not everything is for sale. You can’t buy me, Draco. I thought I’d just made that clear. If it’s a whore you want I’m sure we can find one for you in town.” Harry glared at the man in front of him and felt much like he did that first night. He didn’t know him at all.

Draco just sighed and shook his head. “Did I say anything about buying you, Harry?” he asked and crossed his arms back over his chest. “What did you think, that my money would go away? I’m not going to stop being rich if I start shagging you. Or did you miss the part about my enjoying my lifestyle and everything that comes with it?

I pamper my lovers, Harry. I buy them nice things, make sure that their every need is taken care of, and I generally tend to like having them close. And I assure you, if it was a whore that I was looking for, I could have my pick of them. So which is it that offends you more, me or my money?”

“The way you make it sound is that you expect me to rely upon you if we were to become lovers. I always was more of a man that preferred a partner as opposed to being taken care of. I can take care of myself. It’s not you or your money; it’s how you think it’s important. It’s not. It doesn’t mean anything. You think I don’t like my lifestyle? It’s not exactly a pauper’s lifestyle. I buy expensive things; I stay in expensive places, but not because of any reason other than I enjoy pampering myself. Do I want to go back to being poor? Fuck no. I like knowing where my next meal is coming from.”

Harry’s anger was only building and he was sounding like a wounded lover. Draco and he weren’t lovers; they were a couple of blokes that had met up and that was it. He didn’t know him, not like he thought he did and the only thing he was going to succeed in doing was making things worse. 

“I can’t… I like you, Draco, but I can’t and won’t be what you expect. I’d love to be your lover, but not like that. I’m sorry.” Harry turned and shoved his hands in his pockets as if that would contain the anger and started for the stairs back up to the house.

Draco sighed, moved to lean against the door frame and watched as Harry walked away. Any expectations he’d had when starting out this little getaway were gone. Now he could only wonder what the devil he was doing there. He wasn’t defined by his money, but neither was he going to apologize for using it and Harry seemed hell bent on being insulted by anyone who put any value in it. 

He followed a short while later, after toying with the idea that perhaps it would be best if he simply flew on to Rome. There was no point in continuing on if things were going to be uncomfortable and awkward between them. Draco found Harry standing in the sitting room next to the bar, drink in hand. He stopped in the doorway, watched him for a moment.

“Is it really so bad? Having someone who wants to take care of you?” he asked finally, though he didn’t move any further into the room.

Harry slumped forward and leaned heavily against the bar. “No, Draco. It’s not and I’m sorry.” He didn’t turn to look at him because he didn’t know what the hell it was that made him so hurt by Draco’s earlier offer. He didn’t think the anger would come back, but his eyes were very expressive and he didn’t want to reveal too much.

“It’s hard for me to understand what you mean because I’m not used to it. And it’s hard for me to explain because you have never been where I have.” He summoned all his courage and turned around to face Draco. 

“I’m sorry. I really am. I think I just feel very passionately about my independence and I was still angry over the shell. I over-reacted.” Harry’s voice was soft and he could feel his own emotions still very raw and close to the surface.

“I think I understand perfectly,” Draco replied. “You have to come from nothing at all to understand what it’s like to truly appreciate the art of being humble or independent. You’ve got this noble, self-suffering code and it would dent your morals to put any sort of importance in money or stature. And I, being one of those rich little snots who, of course, was born with a golden spoon in my mouth, wouldn’t understand. I expect too much of you or perhaps… simply can’t be any other way because I… don’t have to work for what I have?”

Draco reached into his pocket to pull out Harry’s mobile phone and began to walk towards him. “I was honest with you before and I’ll be honest with you now. I absolutely value my money and my lifestyle. But I gather you wouldn’t understand that since you weren’t _born into it_. Money does mean something to me. It always has and it always will. I’d be utter rubbish at being poor. And because I have money, because I can appreciate the finer things in life, I buy expensive gifts for my clients to show them not only my appreciation at having their business, but as a symbol of how grateful I would be _to_ have it.”

He stopped in front of Harry, but reached past him to place the phone on the bar. “And yes, I dote on my lovers, not to impress them with my money, but because I _can_. I’m a bastard and piss poor at relationships. And you’re the happy-go-lucky, glass is half full bloke who’s got that wonderfully large chip on his shoulder when it comes to a world you’ve always had one foot in, but could never manage to fully drag over the other. Is that about right?”

“That’s not what I said, Draco. And that’s not what I meant.” Harry reached for his hip and held it gently before he could turn away. “Please listen to me.” Every word Draco had spoken had been like a knife wound and he was trying not to ruin the friendship he’d gained with him.

Harry looked at Draco, could see he was still angry and he was truthfully defeated. Everything Draco had said was correct. He had always been sick of being looked down upon and being submerged in a world he never really was a part of. He hadn’t been near that world until recently and his own prejudices were holding him back. He didn’t understand Draco’s world and how it worked nor did he know how to explain his own feelings. 

He dropped his hand from him and gave him a weak smile. “I never was any good with words. I’m sorry. I don’t suppose there’s any excuse for the type of bastard I am. You’re right. Every bit of it. Just about.” He shook his head and placed the glass back on the bar and picked up his phone to shove back in his pants.

Draco blinked, expecting more of an argument, but getting… that. He smiled then. “Well at least we both agree that I’m a snot and a bastard,” he mused and turned to lean back against the bar. “I get it, Harry. I do. You don’t like people shoving their money at you and you don’t want to be kept. You don’t want to be made to feel less than what you really are. But, Harry… not everyone who buys you something nice or offers to spoil you is looking to make you a toy or thinks you’re a whore. It’s not always bad. And at least now I know it’s not my money you’re after. Must be my pretty face.”

“You are a snot. Not a bastard, but a snot.” Harry moved behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of Vodka and a glass for Draco. He poured him a drink and refilled his Scotch. “I think that I’ve always looked at gifts as something that should have thought and meaning behind them. Something purchased special and when it’s for the hell of it, I kinda always thought that it would be something small like a shirt or a new movie.” 

Harry walked back from around the bar and handed Draco his drink. “But what would I know; the first present I ever received was in year eight.” Harry moved back to lean against the bar next to Draco. “It is your face, by the way.” He turned and smiled at him. “S’all I got to go off of. Don’t know what size your cock is so I can’t say it’s that. So for now, it’s just your pretty face.”

Draco laughed outright then and lifted his glass. “Here’s to hoping that you are just as impressed with my cock as you are my face then,” he said and then brought his glass down to his lips. 

“I can’t make you any promises, Harry. I mean, I’ve only just really met you haven’t I? I fancy you. You’re gorgeous and funny and I very much want to shag you like mad. I’m everything you seem to hate though, so it makes for an interesting situation. I understand what you’re saying and where you’re coming from, and I could tell you that I won’t throw frivolous things at you or buy you… well a boat… but I’d be lying. And I’m a very good liar. 

“I think we both know that I am, or at least I was, here because I was hoping for a nice, neat little affair and I can’t be like this in London. So, I figure we have two options. We can either go upstairs, fuck like mad and have a glorious time together until you head off on another adventure and I go home or we could just keep things friendly. You can try and find something that you do actually like about me besides my smashing good looks and I can continue my long time relationship with my right hand.”

Harry laughed and knocked back his scotch. “You can’t offer me sex and expect me to think. My brain just emptied out and it’s running on fumes.” Harry shook his head, propped his elbows up on the bar behind him and tried to think about how to proceed.  
“It’s not just how you look, Draco. You’re more than a gorgeous and wealthy bloke. I like the guy I’ve been with for the last five days.” He had heard the comment about not being like this in London. He knew that he’d be back in London after Greece and he knew he’d want to see Draco, but he didn’t want to be someone’s secret again. He never had liked that arrangement. 

Harry turned so he was facing Draco. “Have you ever been friends with one of your ex-lovers? Not Pansy; she doesn’t count. But just a random affair and still be able to have a friendship after?”

Draco furrowed his brow and thought down the list of lovers he’d had. “There’s never really _been_ a relationship outside of Pans. Not that lasted longer than a few weeks. When I was married, I had affairs. Now that I’m single, I’ve had a few lovers, but nothing that really meant anything. Most of the men or women I end up in bed with see the money, the success, and my name. My family is old money; very old money. And I’m the only Malfoy heir.”

He shrugged and took another drink of his vodka before continuing. “I don’t think much of it, because it’s easier without the strings. I get to focus on my work, they get to play house and spend my money, and I get laid in the process. Everyone wins. Until the topic of _more_ comes up or I realize my bank account is taking a severe beating. Needless to say, no… they are never very happy when I call it off.”

“Why don’t we just wait and see. I like you, Draco. More than for what I’m sure will be a brilliant shag. I like being friends with you. I don’t want you to go and I don’t want things awkward. I know I sound a bit like a tosser, but friendship is more important to me than shagging. Even though I can’t stop thinking about shagging you.” Harry’s mind was a brilliant mess and trying to string his thoughts together into cohesive sentences was not easy, but he tried. It was bloody hard though, looking into gray eyes that seemed to melt him from the inside out.

“I’m not good at the whole relationship thing either. I have never had an affair end well. I’m too self centered apparently and don’t know how to sit still. I guess it depends if you want to still remain friends or if you’d rather go upstairs and shag me into the floor, because I don’t think I’d stop you.”

Draco’s eyebrow shot up and he turned to look at Harry. “Really?” he mused and thought it over for a moment. “Brilliant sex… or unpacking and then eventually dinner. God help me I really want the brilliant sex.”

He looked Harry up and down, then sighed, finished off his drink and sat the empty glass down on the bar. “Unpacking and dinner it is. I’ll cook. And before you make some smart-arsed remark, yes, I can cook.”

Harry laughed and dropped his hand down to get a good grab of Draco’s very nice arse. He smiled again and headed to the foyer for where they’d left their bags. “I can hardly wait to see what it is you have in mind for dinner. I wonder if there’s take away somewhere close just in case.”

“Oh piss off,” Draco countered and followed Harry out into the foyer. He checked his watch before picking up his shoulder bag and reached into his pocket for his mobile. “I should check in with the office while I’m unpacking. Um, is there a certain room I should take or just whichever I want?”

“Whichever you want; I’m going to go take some pictures,” Harry replied and picked up his bag and headed for the spiral staircase. He needed to unpack his gear and get a few pictures of the lake from the house.

Harry stopped at the first bedroom he came to and turned to see Draco looking into the one across the hall from him. He chuckled and went into his room and tossed his small suitcase at the foot of the bed and placed his camera bag on the bed so he could unpack it. It took a minute to change the lens and then he went back down the stairs and out the back door. 

The house truly was beautiful, but Harry was still a little put out by the publisher and having a hard time appreciating anything that was there. Except the view. The view was stupendous. It was something right off of a post card. He lifted his camera to his eyes and focused the lens until the tree line across the shore came into view. Rays of sun shone in streams through its branches. Click. 

He heard Draco come down and listened to his footsteps retreat assumingly in the direction of the kitchen. Harry’s camera moved over the landscape and the clicks of the shutter sounded over and over until he was through half the roll. 

That’s when he noticed a small balcony on the house and Draco stepping out onto it. He was looking through his lens. Draco’s long, white-blonde hair shimmered in the early evening light and his skin practically glowed. Every inch of his lean frame was relaxed and poised at the same time. Harry felt a tug in his chest that stopped him from taking the picture. 

“Bloody hell.” 

There was no doubt about it.

“Shite.” 

He had feelings for him. Too fucking quick.

Harry lowered the camera and went back inside. His brain was scrambling for some kind of explanation and it all led back to the fact that he was falling for Draco Malfoy. Someone who he could probably never have. Someone who, if he’d not stopped, would have been lost right now in post coital bliss and completely buggered. He had no idea how it happened, but he needed to get his shit together and fast. It had looked like Draco was setting up the small table for them to eat. 

Harry hadn’t realized how long he’d been outside taking pictures. Sometimes the pictures came quick and other times he would hold the camera to his eye and wait. He set his camera down and went off in the direction of where the kitchen should be.

“You could stay out there all night couldn’t you?” Draco asked when he heard footsteps behind him. He’d already plated the noodles and sautéed chicken with broccoli and red peppers and had moved on to drizzling Alfredo over the dish.

“I found a nice Pinot Grigio for us in the wine cellar. I hope you like white sauce. I _can_ cook, but only a few dishes right off the top of my head. This is one of them. And you were right; Signore Edgars left us a delightfully fully stocked kitchen. I’ve already put the garlic bread on the table with the wine. You’re not allergic to anything are you? Probably should have asked that before hand.”

“Not a thing,” Harry said and focused on the smells that were drifting up from their dinner. “Smells delicious. Anything I can help with?”

Draco jerked his head towards the large salad bowl that was sitting on the adjacent counter. “You could take that out to the table and pour the wine,” he replied and then shot Harry a quick smile before setting down the first plate and reaching for the second. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Harry returned the smile and picked up the salad and tongs and headed out to the balcony. He uncorked the wine, then plated up some salad for each of them. He smiled and wondered if Draco knew that he would appreciate something like this far more than a boat. He waited for him to join him and sat down when he did. 

“I could spend all night out here,” Harry said, finally replying to the question that Draco had asked. He lifted the bottle and took Draco’s glass and filled it, then filled his own. “I like being out doors. I think we should take out that sail boat tomorrow though. I could use a little time on the water.”

Draco chose raspberry vinaigrette for his salad and then topped it with freshly ground pepper and some salt. “It’s beautiful here. I’m afraid I don’t spend enough time outside. Not to really enjoy it at any rate. I spend more time looking at structures than I do looking at what’s around them.”

He took a bite of his food and watched as Harry topped his own salad. “You said you’ve never been on a sailboat before, right? I could teach you if you like. You steer and I’ll direct.”

“I get to drive, but you’ll be in charge?” Harry snickered and raised an eyebrow. Falling into playful teasing was entirely too easy. “Fine, I’ll be your student for the day. You can teach me what to do with my hands since I won’t be using them to row.”

Draco eyed Harry, a lazy smile playing at his lips, and he shook his head. “We start getting into hand placement and we just might find ourselves in trouble after all, Harry.”

 

*****

 

Things had gone back to comfortable between Draco and himself. Harry was happy and for once keeping a tight lid on his emotions. It was difficult, but he managed. They were on their last stop before Rome. The vineyard they were staying at was in site and Harry was feeling excitement of another stop with Draco and dread that their time together was almost at a close. 

They made idle chatter and Harry’s smile seemed stuck on his face. The vineyard was unbelievable. Gorgeous beyond any of the images they had on their website. They pulled up and retrieved their bags from the back. The vineyard was owned by a family who had converted part of their house into a rustic hotel. 

At the front desk, a charming young lady was speaking heavily accented English and trying to explain the situation. 

“I’m sorry, Signoré Potter. We tried to secure an extra room for you, but there were no cancellations.” 

“There’s nothing else, maybe a room we could switch?” Harry’s room only had one queen size bed in it and sleeping next to Draco and not getting into trouble didn’t seem possible. 

“No, Signoré. I’m sorry. My father would honor his arrangements with you for your tour of our vineyard if you decided to stay elsewhere.” 

The young woman was most apologetic and sincere and Harry felt horrible for making her apologize. “What do you think? Want to share a bed for two nights?” Harry asked turning to Draco.

Draco smiled at the pretty young woman behind the counter and waved his hand in an easy, uncaring gesture. “It’s not a problem, Signora. The one room will be fine. We’re all adults after all, are we not?” He gave her his most charming smile and then turned to Harry.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to manage just fine.”

Harry smiled and tried to keep his thoughts away from the fact that he would be sleeping with Draco for the next two nights. He signed for the room and took their key, a real key, and let the young lady point them in the direction of their room. 

The room was called the Sangiovese room and when Harry opened the door, he felt sure he was sweating. He took a deep breath and held the door for Draco, then followed him in. “So, I guess sleeping in the nude would be a bad idea.”

An amused grin tugged at the corner of Draco’s mouth, but he forced it away before Harry could see. “Oh I don’t know; I’m afraid that’s the only way I’m really comfortable at night. I’m sure you understand.”

“What will you do when you get back to London and you don’t have me to torture? Wait… don’t answer that. I’m fairly sure I don’t want to know.” Harry smiled and lifted his suitcase up to the bed so he could pull out his clothes that would need to be laundered for dinner. Black trousers and a black collarless oxford. 

“Got anything you want pressed for tonight?” Harry asked moving to the phone.

Draco nodded and walked over to the wardrobe. He opened it and hung his garment bag inside, then set his suitcase on the floor next to it. He pulled from the garment bag a pair of dark gray slacks, a white dress shirt, and the matching gray jacket.

“I think this should be good for this evening,” he stated and turned to hand the clothes to Harry. “I’m just going to freshen up a bit.”

Harry smiled and ran his hands through his messy black hair. He’d gotten used to Draco primping. The man was meticulous about his appearance. He called down for someone to come and gather their clothes and moved his suitcase off the bed and over to the closet. 

“Got any denims? I want you to come with me while I take some shots of the Vineyard,” Harry called out as he flopped down on the bed and propped himself up on his side.

Draco splashed some cool water on his face, retied his hair, and then washed his hands. “No denims,” he answered when he emerged from the loo and walked back over to the wardrobe. “I’ve got a pair of light linen trousers though. They should do just as well. How many shots do you think you’ll need today?” 

Harry watched him and arched his eyebrow. “No denims? That’s a crime. You’re arse would look amazing in denims.” 

Harry rolled to his back and tucked his hands under his head. “I don’t know how many shots I’ll take. I’m going to bring two rolls to start with. This place was what the trip was ultimately about. I’ve always wanted to come here. Wine, scenery, great food… And top it off with a great traveling companion and this could be the trip I always thought it would be.”

Draco smiled and turned to walk over to the foot of the bed, then toed off his shoes. He draped the linen trousers over the edge and began to take off the trousers he had on. “And in your mind, when you planned this trip out, what or who rather… did you plan as your companion? Do I live up to the daydream?”

Harry kept his eyes on the ceiling. He could hear Draco undressing and that was enough to make his prick twitch and his mind run away with him. “I’d actually always thought I’d be alone. I never thought there’d be someone with me. I’m glad you’re here though. I just wish we had a little more time.”

Draco folded his worn trousers a few times and placed them on the foot of the bed, then slipped into the new ones. His eyes traced up the line of Harry’s body and finally settled on his face. “And how much more time are you wanting?” he asked, tucking in his shirt.

“At least a few more days. Though honestly, I could see myself taking a real holiday somewhere like this.” Harry rolled his head to the side to look at Draco. “All the other places we’ve been have been brilliant, but this… this is my idea of paradise. Or at least as close as I’ve ever seen.”

Draco sat on the foot of the bed to pull his shoes back on, then stood and walked over to stand beside the bed where Harry lay. “Well come on then; let’s get a better look at your perfect holiday. You can show me what it is about this place that makes it paradise.”

Harry smiled up at Draco and pulled himself up. “Let me get my camera. Don’t suppose you’d leave your phone behind?” Harry asked as he reached for his camera case and opened the locks. He pulled out his old Pentax and the lens he wanted.

Draco arched a brow and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He looked from Harry to the mobile phone and then back down again. For the first time in ages, he turned it off. Korinne would likely serve him his head on a platter later and he’d have about thirty calls on top of that to return, but he could manage for one afternoon without it. 

“It’s off,” he told Harry and tucked it back into his pocket. “Better?”

“Thank you,” Harry said looking up at Draco. He stood and leaned forward and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Draco’s hands automatically went to Harry’s hips and all that wonderful, sexually charged tension stabbed right back through him. He leaned his head in just a fraction of an inch, their lips close but not quite touching, then ended with a small smile before he pulled away.

“Give me one moment,” he stated and moved to pull a tube of sunscreen out of his suitcase. With fair skin such as his, he’d be mad to go around walking for hours in the vineyard with nothing to shield him and there was no way he was going to end up miserable for the next two days. He rolled up the sleeves of his white button-down, then squeezed a small amount out onto his palm and began rubbing it into the back of his neck.

Harry moved forward and reached for the tube and squeezed out some onto his fingers as well. He rubbed his fingers together and then lifted them to Draco’s face. He’d watched him go through this ritual a few times in the last few weeks and he started as he did rubbing some first onto his forehead. Harry stared into Draco’s eyes as he gently massaged and spread the sunscreen evenly across every inch of his face.

Only when Harry’s fingers neared his eyes did Draco close them and he opened them again as soon as they were smoothing over some other part of his face. The feel of the man’s touch was soothing and Draco let his own hands fall to Harry’s sides to tug him closer. When Harry’s fingers moved along his jaw, Draco tilted his head up for him, allowing him access to his throat and collarbone. There was an intimacy between them now, something that had the potential of leading no further than comfort and as far as ending with them both naked and sweaty and waiting only long enough to do it again.

Harry was ready to slide his hands into Draco’s hair and tug his head until there was nowhere left to go. His desire for him was beyond anything he’d ever felt and touching him like he was only made it more difficult to remember that he didn’t belong to him. By the time his hands were relaxed against Draco’s throat he was so lost in gray eyes that he couldn’t speak.

“Signoré Pereno is waiting for us,” Draco said softly and lifted a hand to gather one of Harry’s up from his throat, then turned it so he could press a lingering kiss to the center of his palm. 

“Shall we?” he asked, though all he really wanted to do was stretch Harry out across the bed and figure out just how many places he could touch him before the man fell apart. 

Harry left the clothes on the bed where he’d told the girl he’d leave them and led the way down to the reception area where the owner was waiting. They chatted for a few moments and then Signoré Pereno led them out to the part of the Vineyard where he grew the Sangiovese grapes. He explained the sunflowers that were planted and how they put nutrients back into the soil to keep it healthy for the vines. After a guided tour of the sections of different grapes and many questions from both Harry and Draco, Signoré Pereno left them alone to do as they pleased. 

Harry took the cap off his lens and lifted his camera to one of the sunflowers. The image was perfect and there was no need for him to wait. Click. They walked through the rows and when Harry turned, it was to see Draco leaning forward, his hand cupping a cluster of grapes, his eyes closed, and a stray lock of hair blowing across his face. He’d never seen something more beautiful. Without thinking, Harry took the picture. 

Draco’s eyes opened slowly and the shutter clicked again. Harry’s view through the lens was unobstructed and when Draco turned to look at him, he clicked off another picture.

Draco stared over at Harry, hidden behind his camera, and a slow smile appeared on his lips when he heard the click of the camera as the shot was taken. There was a gentle breeze sweeping across the vineyard that had his hair tickling across his face and he lifted his hand to brush it away.

He moved, staring straight at Harry as he continued forward. “I thought you didn’t photograph people,” he murmured softly.

Harry lowered the camera slowly and looked into the gray eyes that seemed to pull him closer and his free hand reached out and rested on Draco’s hip.

“I don’t,” he replied, stepping closer. He couldn’t _not_ do this. He’d regret it the rest of his life if he didn’t. Harry’s hand tightened on Draco’s hip, he tilted his head just a bit to make up for the slight height difference and he lifted up to kiss him.

At first, his eyes stayed open as he slowly closed his lips over Draco’s bottom one, then they rolled shut as he licked across the lip and sucked it into his mouth.

Draco brought his hands up to Harry’s face and cradled it. He kissed him back, darted his tongue out to meet the one licking at his lips and then sucked it gently into his mouth. He stepped in closer, laced his fingers back into Harry’s dark hair, and drew his mouth away only long enough to change the angle.

When he kissed him again, it was as soft as the first, but there was something about it. The line between them, the one they’d drawn in Lake Como, there was a very sudden and very distinct absence of it. He hummed into the kiss, then slowly pulled away again and ran his fingers the rest of the way through Harry’s hair.

“Take your pictures,” he whispered. “You can photograph me all you want later.”

Harry was tingling with the feel of Draco pressed so closely and so intimately to him. The kiss had left his lips moist and he licked at them to taste Draco still there. He wanted to speak, say something; anything, but words failed him and he only smiled at him. Finally, he lifted his camera and started down the row again. 

Harry found he’d taken the full two rolls of film when he went to change the roll again and there wasn’t any spare film with him. They’d walked a good distance and were close to one of the cobblestone roads that led to the small village close by. He reached his hand out for Draco’s. “Walk with me.”

Draco slipped his hand into Harry’s and let himself be led out onto the cobblestone road. The stones were worn down from years of travel, which made it easily walkable in certain places. Once they’d gotten a half mile down the road, he pulled his hand from Harry’s and wrapped it around the man’s shoulders. His hold on him was loose so that it didn’t hinder their easy stroll, but he held him close enough to feel him against his side.

“Everything seems so simple here,” he said and drew in a long breath of the fresh air. “It reminds me of the countryside back home. I grew up in Wiltshire. Malfoy Manor is tucked away, miles from any other estate and I had nothing but space as a child to do whatever I wanted. As long as I didn’t get dirty of course. Father frowned on that. I suppose that’s where my love of horses came into play. I could ride all day and my father would tolerate the dust simply because I wasn’t rolling around in the mud somewhere. It was a nice, proper, English hobby.”

Harry’s arm had moved to wrap around Draco’s waist and it felt good. In fact, it was comfortable and all too easy to fit in next to him. “Did you ever want to just get dirty? I mean… didn’t you feel the need to just play in the rain and to hell with it all?”

Draco chuckled and nodded. “Of course. I was just like any other child; for a while at least. My father expected certain things from me though. There was a proper way to behave and carry oneself. Everything was scheduled and ordered so that my time was maximized and managed to its fullest. There simply was no time for anything else and I knew better than to go against his wishes. Don’t get me wrong though. My father is a brilliant man. He only had the family’s best interests at heart.”

“I can’t imagine that,” Harry replied. “Though, my fantasies of what a father was supposed to be like were probably deluded and limited to what the telly depicted.” He looked over at Draco and had the overwhelming urge to just tackle him and roll around with him in the dirt. A wicked smile curled the corners of his mouth as the image played happy hell with his hormones. He shook the images from his mind and turned back to look at the road.

“I still like playing in the rain. Too bad there’s not a cloud in the sky.”

Draco looked up at the perfectly blue sky and were they not walking, he would have closed his eyes to feel the sun on his face. “Is that what you’d like then? To stand here in the rain with me? I don’t think your camera would fancy that as much as you would.”

Harry looked down at his camera. He’d had it in weather before, but always with plastic to cover it. It was his favorite camera and if it were raining, he knew his first instinct would be to cover it and get it safe. He smiled though and turned to look at Draco. 

“I think playing in the rain with you might be worth it. But…” Harry looked to the sky. “I don’t think I’ll get the chance.”

“I suppose we’d have to be back in England for a proper rainy day,” Draco noted. His eyes had gone back to the road before them and he could see the village up ahead. “Perhaps once you’re done in Greece… if the timing is right. We could drive out to the country or something. Hope for a rainy weekend.”

Draco knew the weekend would likely never happen, but the thought of it was nice. He found himself dreading the end of the current one. Come Monday morning, they’d be headed for Rome and by Tuesday, he’d be on a plane home. The thought caused a funny ache to blossom in Draco’s chest and he hugged Harry just a small bit closer to him.

Harry’s heart sped up at the thought of continuing their… whatever this was, back home in London. “It doesn’t rain anywhere near as beautiful as it does in the country back home. You’re on. I expect my weekend in the rain now.” 

A soft smile curled Harry’s lips and he leaned a little more into Draco. Everything felt so bloody good and he just wished it didn’t have to end. They walked in silence until the sounds from the village grew around them and the cobblestone road widened to make a proper road through the narrow streets. 

Harry stopped them at a small kiosk and started lifting different bottles of Olive Oil. The vendor didn’t speak English at all and Draco’s Italian was far superior to Harry’s, so he let them talk while he reached for a piece of Bruschetta on a sample plate and dipped it in some oil with herbs. 

The flavor was subtle, but divine and had Harry humming contentedly while his eyes rolled. He dipped another piece of bread and tugged gently on Draco’s shoulder. “Taste this,” he said and lifted the oil soaked bread to Draco’s lips.

Draco opened his mouth and captured the tips of Harry’s fingers along with the bread when he closed it. The flavor was light instead of overpowering and he licked his lips once he’d swallowed. “Let’s get a bottle,” he said, motioning to what they’d just tried as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. “We’ll have to find some fresh bread. Can have it later in the room.” 

Harry covered Draco's hand on his wallet and smiled. “This one’s on me, you can buy us the bread.” Harry held up two fingers to the man and reached for his own wallet and handed over the money. “This way we have one to share and you have one to take back to London to save for the rainy weekend.” 

Harry’s fingers were still warm and tingling from the feel of Draco’s mouth on them. There was a bit of oil still making Draco’s lips shine and when the vendor gave him his money back, he shoved it in his pocket and took his bag, then tugged Draco to him and licked across his lips. 

Harry’s hands pulled Draco closer from where they rested at the small of his back and he slid his tongue into his mouth. He could taste the herbs and the oil, but under that was the same taste that still lingered from their kiss in the vineyard.

Draco’s arms wrapped around Harry’s waist and there, in the middle of everyone, he let him kiss him. The kiss was slow and searching, one that had his blood pumping just a little too quickly and he began to swell in his trousers. 

“Harry,” he breathed out and tried to collect himself. “As strong willed a man as I am, even I have my limits.” One of Draco’s arms was still wrapped tightly around Harry’s waist, but his other hand had dropped and was holding firmly to one of Harry’s perfectly rounded arse cheeks. “And as accepting as these kind people seem to be, I don’t think they’d fancy a show here in their market.” 

Harry let out a shaky breath and blinked dazed eyes at Draco. He was past the point of simply wanting the man. He needed him. There was a time and place and though he growled softly that this was _not_ the time nor the place, he loosened his hold on him. 

Harry licked his lips, then smiled and realized there were people watching them. “I suppose not. Though I think it would be one helluva show.”

Draco pressed a soft kiss to Harry’s lips and brought up one hand to run back through his dark hair. “It would be a spectacular show,” he agreed. “One that would most likely get us thrown in jail.”

He kissed him again, wanting nothing more than to ravage him there on the spot, but managed to keep himself in line and back away. Draco draped his arm back around Harry’s shoulders and led him onwards through the market. He was aroused, found it difficult to walk, and each little alley that they passed seemed more and more inviting. He could shag Harry, right there in broad daylight with everyone only a short ways off, but no one there to watch them. 

Draco’s prick gave an interested twitch, but he tucked the thought away and wished for the privacy of their room instead. Either way, sunlit alley or bed, distractions and excuses be damned, he was taking Harry the first chance he got. 

Harry’s body was awake and it seemed each step only pulled them further from their room at the vineyard, but he kept on. They stopped at another kiosk, Draco purchased some bread for them, and it was all Harry could do to focus on any one thing that didn’t concern his friend. 

Once the deal was done, Harry tugged Draco with him out of the main street and just around the corner of the next. There were so many people around and he was going out of his fucking mind. “I’m going crazy here.” He was breathing hard and his free hand lifted to cup the back of Draco’s neck. 

“Back to the vineyard?”

Draco responded with a growl and tugged Harry up against him. He crushed their mouths together, teeth clicking, tongues searching and god help him, his willpower had just about run out. “Too far,” he mumbled against the man’s lips and pulled away long enough to look around them. 

A few yards away there was another entrance way to what he hoped was a small alley. He hauled Harry towards it, walked them to the very back of the dim nook and tucked them into an archway. Draco pressed Harry tightly between himself and the door frame and ground up hard into him.

“No more waiting,” he groaned, rolled his hips again, and then reached for the bottles of oil Harry still held in his hands. He set them and the bread to the side and looked back over his shoulder. There were no windows that would allow anyone a glimpse of them and that was all he needed. Draco turned then and began to yank at the front of Harry’s trousers. His hand plunged inside impatiently, wrapped around Harry’s growing arousal and he pulled him free of the fabric so that he could pump him in his fist. The skin was soft and hot and he released him only long enough to spit into his hand and then reached back down to fist him and start pumping again.

“Oh fuck,” Harry moaned and whimpered softly. There were still people in the proximity of them and if he cried out they would soon have an audience. Both of his arms had lifted and wrapped around Draco’s neck as his hips began to thrust forward into the hand that pumped him. 

One of Harry’s hands pulled at the tie in Draco’s hair and once it was free, he plunged his hand into it and shoved his head forward until their mouths were crushed together in another heated kiss. Fire licked up his spine and sweat broke out almost immediately all over his body as his temperature spiked. Harry was nothing but barely contained need as soft moans slipped out of him.

The sounds that Harry was making made Draco a little dizzy. He’d tried to imagine, of course, how the man would sound in the throws of passion, but reality far exceed fantasy. His hand moved faster on Harry’s prick, twisted at the head, and he gathered the essence that leaked from him and slicked it back down his shaft.

His own prick twitched eagerly in his trousers and if he didn’t fuck him soon, Draco thought he just might go mad from need. With a final suck to Harry’s bottom lip, he pulled his hand away from him and turned him around. Draco’s hands dug into his lover’s denims at the sides and he pushed them down until Harry’s gorgeous arse was bared for him.

Draco groaned at the sight and moved his hands so that he could knead at the round globes. He pulled them apart, then kneaded some more, then moved his hands to Harry’s hips so that he could tug him back and rock against him. The friction against his swollen prick made his eyes roll.

Harry brought his right arm up and pushed his mouth against it to stop himself from screaming out Draco’s name. His other hand moved back to Draco’s hip and clung to him as his prick ground against his arse. More muffled noises emanated from Harry’s throat as each rock against him sent a jolt of pleasure throughout his body.

Harry turned his head just a bit and gasped at an eager thrust against him. “Nnn-need you, Draco… Nugh. Please…” The promise of the hard shaft beneath the thin linen was causing his body to contract and he knew he’d need very little preparation from how eager his body already was. “Fuck me.”

Draco grunted, already bringing his fingers to his mouth and he sucked two of them inside. When they were slick with spit, he used one hand to hold Harry’s cheeks apart, and traced his lover’s entrance. It contracted against his fingertip, and with another swirl around it, he pushed the tip of his middle finger inside him. 

Harry’s body was hot and tight and Draco’s breathing grew heavier. The need to have more than just his finger inside of the man was overwhelming. He pulled out of him, circled him again, and then pushed back in. His finger sank into him up to the second knuckle and Draco massaged at the walls of Harry’s body before pulling out and doing it all over again. He worked him open, first with one finger and then with two, and though it only took a minute or two, it felt like hours.

His lover’s body was ready, waiting for him, and Draco growled at the fact that he had to pull away. He pulled his wallet from his pocket, retrieved the condom he had there, and then tucked the wallet away again. He reached then for one of the bottles of oil at their feet and handed it to Harry. 

“Open it,” he said, then placed the condom between his teeth so he could undo the front of his trousers.

Harry fumbled with the bottle, but finally managed to get it open. He could feel his lover’s prick jutting out and sliding between his cheeks as Draco rolled the condom in place. A soft moan sounded and he handed the bottle back to Draco. Harry turned his head to watch as Draco poured a little oil out onto his palm and then hand it back to him. Harry again fought to get the lid working as Draco slicked his prick. 

Fingers plunged back into him and Draco barely caught the bottle with his free hand as Harry dropped it. Harry bit his bottom lip and whimpered when the fingers left him and he felt the swollen head of his lover’s prick nudging against his contracting hole. 

Time was moving oddly, because he could feel Draco’s bare hand on his hip and knew the other was lining his prick up, but he had no idea when he’d put the bottle down or if it had crashed to the ground at their feet. All he was aware of was the feel of Draco’s body and his own in response.

The resistance of Harry’s body made Draco’s eyes cross and his eyebrows pulled together as he worked the head of his prick inside him. Then he was in and the world spun. He kept pushing, sliding forward until he was fully seated inside him. Draco moved his hands, one to Harry’s hip and the other slid around to hold him at his stomach.

He pulled out again… “Fuck,” he gasped and pushed back in. 

Draco slid in and out of him a few times before picking up a rhythm of slow, steady thrusts into his lover’s body. He lifted the hand at his hip, fisted it into Harry’s hair and pulled his head to the side so that he could attack his neck. Each openmouthed kiss brought a harder thrust until there was the constant, quiet slap of their bodies meeting.

“God I’ve needed you so bloody badly,” he grunted, lips still pressed to Harry’s skin.

“So bad…” Harry echoed and a low pitched keening sound came from his throat. 

The feel of his lover slamming into him made Harry’s knees weak and the only thing to keep him standing upright was the constant slam of his lover’s body into him. Each thrust tightened his balls and Draco’s lips and grunted words only pushed him that much further. 

Harry dropped a hand to his own weeping prick and fisted it tight when the next thrust slid over his prostate causing shards of light to eat at the edges of his vision. “Draco, ugh!” 

Harry started jerking himself fast and pushing his arse back to meet the thrusting member into him. “Ssss… sooo good, fuck so good.”

“Harry.” That was the only word that Draco could manage. Harry was all he could see, all he could feel or smell or taste. He wanted him, needed him, craved him so badly that he could stay there, locked in that very moment and never look back.

He pounded harder; had to release his hold on Harry’s hair so that he could brace himself against the frame of the archway. His nails dug into the firm, flat skin of Harry’s stomach. Draco wanted to turn him around, pick him up and wrap him around him as he fucked him just so that he could see Harry’s face, but that wasn’t an option. When they got back to the vineyard though, got back to their room… by god if he could manage it he was going to shag the man on every available surface.

Draco’s muscles were clenched, his hips ached and the promised build of his orgasm began in his balls. “Fuck, fuck,” he grunted and slammed into him harder. His thrusts grew erratic and he tried to slow himself a bit, tried to draw it out. There was no way to hold it though. He’d waited too long, needed too much and with a strangled groan of Harry’s name, Draco’s world exploded.

Harry’s body clamped down as he felt his lover quiver inside of him. His hand froze on his prick, the feeling of his lover coming was enough to push him over the edge and he came in hot sprays on the door frame and in his hand. He screamed against his arm and felt his body contract around Draco’s. 

“Draco…” Harry had never been so wrapped up in a lover. He was consumed by Draco and it felt as if nothing else mattered except the feeling of utter fulfillment he had at that moment. They’d waited two weeks for this and Harry thought that he had never wanted someone as much as he did the man at his back.

Draco’s arms had both wrapped themselves tightly around Harry’s body and he’d buried his face into the man’s neck. They were both gasping and sweaty, but all of the tension that he’d been carrying around with him for the past two weeks was blissfully gone. Sadly enough, he had to move.

He pulled slowly from Harry’s body, worked off the condom and then tied it and dropped it. Draco tucked himself back in against his lover’s body. “Longer… next time,” he mumbled and pressed a kiss to Harry’s throat. “I promise.”

Draco’s hips had started a slow, gentle rock against Harry’s bum and he had to turn him in his arms to keep from getting aroused again. He kissed him, captured Harry’s lips and nibbled them until they parted for his tongue. All the while, Draco’s hands were kneading at Harry’s backside again. He may have been through for the moment, but he was nowhere near sated.

He brought one hand around to capture Harry’s wrist and brought the man’s fingers to his lips. They were slick with his lover’s seed and he sucked them into his mouth. The bitter taste of Harry’s come exploded across his tongue and Draco groaned as he sucked at first the fingers, then licked at his lover’s palm. His other hand was still at Harry’s arse, fingers pushed down between his cheeks with two pushing up inside of his still contracting hole.

Harry’s head fell back against the door frame and his prick twitched painfully. His eyes soaked in the sight of his lover licking at his hand while his other hand still fucked him. It felt as if Harry could go again and again and still not be through. Every inch of his being cried out to have Draco buried inside of him again and he didn’t bottom often. 

“Fuck you’re so bloody hot. We… Ugh...” Draco’s fingers scraped his prostate and Harry’s hips thrust forward and back onto the fingers inside of him. “We need to go. Or… You’ll be against the wall in a moment.” Harry chuckled breathlessly and pulled his hand from his lover’s mouth.

“I’m not done with you yet,” Harry said and captured his lover’s mouth in a passionate kiss. 

Draco gave a pleased hum, pulled his fingers from Harry’s body and wrapped him up tightly in his arms. The kiss only served to work him up even more despite his body needing the small breather. He nipped at Harry’s lips, then his chin and finally pulled away so that they could pull up their trousers.

“I think I might like having you molest me,” he mused and tucked himself back in. “I’ve found very few who can actually do it properly.” Draco reached out to give Harry’s cock a firm squeeze and then licked his lips. “I’ll bet you’re up for the task though.”

Harry groaned and reached down to pull his lover’s hand from his cock so he could put himself away. He growled and spun them around, shoving Draco into the door frame. His hair was disheveled in a way he had only dreamed. That long blond hair was covering half his face and he looked in a word… debouched. 

“I think you won’t be disappointed.” The words were nearly growled as Harry shoved his hips forward into Draco’s. “Now I just have to get you back to the Vineyard and fuck you until you can’t move.”

Harry leaned in until his face was just a breath from Draco’s, “You ready to go?”

“Absolutely,” Draco replied and thrust his own hips up. 

They parted, reluctantly, and gathered up their things. Draco tore a piece off of one of the paper bags to wrap up the condom and held it in his hand to toss away as soon as they passed a trash can. “You realize that you’re not going to get any work done this weekend,” he mused, stepping out of the archway. “We’ll be lucky to leave the room at all.”

Harry chuckled, stepped out and stood in front of Draco so he could straighten his lover’s hair. He ran his fingers through the still sweat dampened strands as he spoke. “I will… I intend to shoot you. Just for me.” Once his hair was sufficiently presentable he brought a hand down to cup Draco’s face.

“I think that staying locked up in a room with you is exactly what I need.”

That slow growing ache in Draco’s chest bit at him again, but he didn’t show it. He simply smiled and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Harry’s lips. Two days. Two days and all of this would be over and it would be back to the real world.

“Come on then. There’s molesting to be done and pictures to be taken. And we will, of course, have to stop to eat eventually. I don’t know about the sleeping bit though. The jury is still out and I think I might like to make the most of the time I’ve still got you all to myself.”

They walked together, stopping occasionally to kiss and touch one another and Harry was in a Draco induced Euphoria. He didn’t think about the fact that they only had two days left together. He would make the most of those two days and after Greece he would go home and hope for the best. 

As soon as they opened the door to their room, Harry tossed Draco on the bed and took his time exploring every inch of him until he found himself making love to him soft and slow. The noises the man made and the way he looked with each slow slide into his body had Harry lost again. Eventually, the slow pace couldn’t be held and Harry finished hard and screaming his lover’s name.

After they made love, they ordered up room service and broke into their bread and oil. They took turns feeding each other and eating off of one another’s bodies. It was decadent in a way Harry had only ever read about.

Then again they made love. This time Draco topped and left Harry a quivering mess. His promise of lasting longer was kept and Harry thought he’d never come down from the high he felt when Draco was inside of him. Draco was everything a lover should be, attentive and alert to every movement or change in breathing. 

Harry’s entire body hummed and when Draco’s breathing became soft and steady he slipped from the bed. Harry’s heart was no longer his own, whatever had happened between them in the last two weeks had built up until… He looked down at the slumbering body of his lover and felt an ache inside of him that he knew would never leave if he wasn’t with him. 

The moon shone through the open window and cast Draco in a luminous light that stole Harry’s breath as he moved out of the path of the window. He quietly tip toed to where his camera was left, changed the lens, added film and quickly took a few pictures. Draco was on his stomach, his arm out stretched from where it had been draped across Harry’s chest. His pale skin was flawless in the silvery moon light and Harry captured him over and over until the entire roll was taken up. 

Harry lay his camera down and squatted beside the bed to watch his lover sleep. His lips were parted just barely to allow the soft puffs of breath that could be heard in the silence of the room. Draco’s long lashes fluttered and his eyes moved under his closed lids and Harry couldn’t help but wonder what it was he was dreaming about. Was it him and their time together? Did Draco feel as he did? He thought he had seen a deep emotion inside of his lover’s gray eyes since that first kiss amongst the vines. 

Finally, Harry crawled back to take his place beside Draco. He tucked him in close to him and kissed the top of his head. In his mind, he told him how he felt, he just couldn’t bring the words to his lips.

 

*****

 

The weekend passed blissfully slow and Draco couldn’t remember being so relaxed and at ease with not only someone else, but himself as well. He was, in a word… happy. The thin veil around their new, delicate little world wasn’t broken when Monday morning came. In fact, it lasted right up until they drove into Rome. Korrine had booked him into a suite at the Hotel de la Minerve and Harry had made arrangements to stay at the Condotti. It would be the last night that they could have together and he didn’t want to spend it apart.

“Stay with me tonight,” he said and turned to look at Harry’s profile as he drove. “Cancel your reservations and stay with me. I’ll make sure that they hold the room for you for as long as you’re in Rome.”

Harry’s heart skipped in his chest. The thought of not spending their last night together hadn’t even occurred to him. He turned and held Draco’s gaze for a moment and nodded. “I want as much time as I can get with you.” 

Harry smiled and glanced back to the road, then back to Draco. He lifted his left hand and caressed the backs of his fingers down Draco’s cheek. 

“You could come with me to Greece, or meet me there,” Harry said turning back to the road.

Draco gathered Harry’s hand in his own and pressed his lips to his knuckles. “I can’t, Harry,” he told him and there was that ache again. “I have to get back. Taking these past two weeks was pushing it already.”

He stopped there, kissed Harry’s knuckles again, and then pulled his hand down with his own into his lap. Draco’s mobile phone rang and he sighed. He managed to fish the phone out of his pocket while still holding tightly to Harry’s hand and Korrine’s name flashed up at him. It rang again and he silenced it before tucking it back into his pocket.

“I expect a picture just for me though, from your trip. One that I can have framed and hang in my office.”

“I’ll save the best for you. And hey… I’ll be in London in six weeks and I can help you hang it.” Harry’s voice didn’t reflect the pain he felt at being separated for that long from Draco. Well… Maybe not too much. It hurt something awful thinking about it and it was all he could do not to pack himself in Draco’s luggage and go home with him. 

“You keep doing that to her and Korrine’s going to hate me before she gets a chance to meet me,” Harry teased. He didn’t know if Draco intended on ever introducing him to the people who worked for him. Draco still hadn’t said anything about if their relationship would be private or public. Honestly he didn’t care. He just wanted to be with him.

Draco snorted. “Believe me; she’s already put off plenty. Once I’m back in the office and unable to put her on mute, she’ll give me an earful. She knows better than to do it over the phone.”

His thumb brushed back and forth along the line of Harry’s hand and looked everywhere but at him. The things he was feeling, his thoughts, he’d never been like this with anyone and it was a little disconcerting. It had only been two weeks for Christ’s sake. Draco was no stranger to instant attraction or lust. This was more than just a connection though and it was completely foreign to him.

“How long will you be in London for?”

“Mr. Edgars has given hints to future books if I take this deal. I hadn’t planned anything immediately after Greece,” he lied. He’d only intended on being in London for a few weeks and then he had wanted to head off to Brazil before the seasons changed and it would be impossible for him to go up the Amazon. 

“There’s plenty of places I want to shoot, but I have to get the plans made and book flights and guides.” Harry tried not to think about it. He was dreading the thought of getting home and really starting something with Draco and then leaving again. It wasn’t like it was when he was with Ginny. He didn’t think about things like this with her, he just up and left.

A small smile formed on Draco’s face and he turned to look at Harry’s profile again. “It doesn’t take long to make plans and book a few flights, Harry,” he stated quietly. “If I have you for a little while, then I can make plans that will work for both of our schedules. If not, then I’ll make sure that I have the few weeks I do have with you as free as I can get them. During the week is awful for me though. About the only time I have to myself are the hours I come home to sleep.”

Harry glanced over to Draco and felt the pain that hadn’t left him since they woke up that morning. He’d been oblivious for the past two days about leaving; now the pain wouldn’t leave. But just the idea of being in Draco’s bed when he got home from work sounded inviting and like exactly what he needed. 

“I should be home a little over a month. We’ll work it out then, yeah?” Harry turned back to the road and squeezed his lover’s hand.

There was a deeper, longer conversation brewing just under the surface, but Draco wasn’t sure if they were there just yet. He didn’t know where this was going for them or if it would go anywhere at all. Once he was gone, Harry could just as well go off to Greece and get swept back up in his own life. Draco had no delusions that that very same thing wouldn’t happen with him. He had no intentions of slowing down in his own career yet.

“Then I suppose in six weeks I’ll have to set a bit of time aside so that you can have your weekend in the country,” he finally replied.

 

*****

 

Their wake-up call had come at seven the next morning and it was all Draco could do to pull himself out of the bed. They’d made love the night before, twice, and then wound up with Harry sprawled across him as they slept. Room service delivered their breakfast to them and though they carried on with the normal, every day conversation, the tension in the room could be felt. A bellman had come for Draco’s luggage a short while later and there was a car waiting for him downstairs. It would be at his disposal for the day, meant to carry him to the few meetings Korrine had rescheduled for before his flight and then it would carry him on to the airport.

After double checking that yes, he’d packed everything, Draco walked over to the desk, pulled one of his business cards out of his wallet and flipped it over. He wrote his home address on the back of it, along with his home number and the security code to his alarm system and the name of his doorman. Once that was done, he walked out into the sitting room to Harry.

“This is for you,” he said, holding out the card. “I’ll make sure that Bernard knows your name. If when you get back and I’m tied up… he’ll let you in if you decide to pay a visit.”

Harry’s heart was thudding out of control in his chest and the pain he felt was unlike anything he’d ever experienced in his life. He reached for the card and tucked it into his shirt pocket with a wistful smile on his face.

The words were right there and Harry couldn’t open his mouth to say them. Instead, he swallowed the lump in his throat and pressed himself into Draco’s body, his arms sliding around his neck easily as Draco’s slipped around his waist. 

“I’m glad you went with me.” He tilted his head and kissed Draco’s lips softly. “Just a few weeks, right?”

Draco hugged Harry tightly to him and tilted his head down to kiss the side of his neck. “I hope to see you in six weeks,” he replied and kissed his neck again. He raised his head back to look at him and offered him his most charming smile. “But if I don’t, these past two weeks have been wonderful, Harry. Just what I needed. Thank you.”

Harry hugged Draco as tight as he could and was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to let go. The warmth from his lover’s body was wrapped around him as sure as the arms that held him. “You’ll see me,” he whispered. 

Harry pulled his head back and this time when he kissed Draco he took his time licking and suckling at his lips before slipping his tongue between his lover’s parting lips and seeking out every inch of him. The kiss stirred him and he had to pull back before he begged him to take him home with him. 

“You best leave before I get myself in trouble. I’ll see you soon, alright?”

Draco smiled and kissed Harry’s lips one last time. “Have fun in Greece. I’ll be expecting my photograph.” That was all he said. He hugged him again, then pulled away and left. Once he was alone again, settled back into his life, things were normal, perhaps he could figure out what he expected and where he wanted things to go. Though in truth, he already knew where he wanted things to go. He just wasn’t going to hold his breath.

Harry felt as though someone had just punched him in the gut as he stood there staring at the closed door. He felt his eyes burn and the pain he’d thought was bad in his chest doubled and he swayed where he stood. Just a few weeks, he could do this and it would give him time to think about what he wanted out of their relationship. 

It took almost an hour for Harry to finally gather up the will to leave the room and head to his meeting.

 

*****

 

Greece was beautiful. Everything about it was more than what Harry could have wished for. His cameras were getting a workout and his heart was breaking each and every day. It was in Argalasti that he finally just couldn’t take any more. 

Harry had taken numerous pictures and with each one he had the urge to turn and see the look on Draco’s face. _The architecture there is simply stunning, the town is charming, and the people were most welcoming. I stayed in a little villa there._ Harry could hear his voice in his ear and each Villa he saw, he wondered if that was the one his lover had stayed in. By the end of the first day he was on the phone with the airline and making arrangements to fly home to London. He’d been gone for a total of ten days and any longer he’d not be able to function at all.

As Harry sat in his seat on the plane, his fingers played over the card Draco had given him. When he landed, Draco would still be at work and though he could go to his home, he thought that Draco’s door man would call him and let him know that he had a guest. That wouldn’t do, he wanted to surprise him. Even though he kept reaching for his phone with the need to call. 

Once he landed, he got a cab and went straight to Draco’s office building. There was ringing in Harry’s ears as he looked at his watch. Draco worked late a lot. That was what he said. He didn’t know if he’d be invading or if his lover would be out at a meeting. Either way, Harry hauled his luggage behind him and his camera bag was hanging over his shoulder as he finally entered the offices of Draco Malfoy. 

The secretary gave him a pleasant, welcoming smile as he approached her. “Hi. I’m a friend of Draco’s, could you tell me if he’s left yet?”

Pamela smiled up at the man standing before her and shook her head. “Mr. Malfoy hasn’t left yet, but I’m afraid he’s in a meeting. Is there something I can help you with?”

Harry smiled and shook his head, “No… I’ll just wait for him. Is his car nearby?”

Pamela blinked, her smile faltering for a split second. “I’m sorry but I really can’t tell you that. If you’d like to leave him a message I’ll be sure to give it to him.”

Harry chuckled and felt his face heat with the thought of leaving a message for Draco along the lines of how much he wanted him to fuck him. “No… I think he’d rather hear my message in person, Love. Look, I promise he’ll be happy to see me. You don’t have to worry about it, we attended boarding school together.”

Her smile remained, though inside Pamela was groaning at having to deal with one more person who just didn’t seem to understand clear English. “I really am sorry, sir. As I said, I can take a message down for you, but I’m not at liberty to share any personal information.”

At that very moment, Mr. Malfoy’s car pulled up out front and Pamela tilted her head a bit to look at it, then looked back at her visitor. “Are you sure there’s no message you’d like to leave?”

Harry turned to see what had caught Pamela’s attention. A black Aston Martin was there and a young man was getting out that didn’t look like he belonged in the car. Harry’s smile grew and he turned back to the young lady.

“What’s your name, Love?” Harry asked.

“Um, Pamela, sir.”

“Just Harry, no sir. And your favorite kind of flower, Pamela?”

Pamela was frowning now, one eyebrow arched, and she was seriously debating on whether or not she should call someone to have the man escorted away. “Tulips, sir. I’m sorry, but if there’s no message, can I at least tell him what this is about?”

Harry glanced back outside and figured he didn’t have much time left. “Color? The tulips, I mean, what color?”

Pamela’s hand moved to the phone, though she didn’t take her eyes off of the man before her. “Is there… someone I can call for you perhaps? If there’s nothing else.”

"No color then," Harry said with a smile. "There's nothing else, Pamela. Thank you." Harry grabbed his luggage and headed back outside. He leaned against the side of the black car and set his camera bag on his luggage and crossed his arms while he waited.

Pamela was picking up the phone, ready to call the police, when the lift dinged open and Mr. Malfoy stepped out. “Excuse me, sir, but…”

Draco’s hand came up, cutting Pamela off and he stopped in front of her desk. Pansy was chattering ninety miles a minute in his ear, complaining about horrible bands and not being able to choose a menu for the reception. And that was only after she’d given him hell, yet again, for disappearing on her for that whole weekend.

He rolled his eyes, wondering if she’d actually come up for a breath any time soon. “Good night, Pamela,” he finally said and tossed a tired smile at her.

“But, Mr. Malfoy…”

He ignored her as he continued on and tossed up a hand in parting. “Dearest, I don’t know what to tell you about the menu,” he said as he pushed through the main doors. “It’s your own fault for being so bloody picky. I love you, but, darling, just go with the…”

Draco stopped, his eyes on the man leaning against his car, and he wasn’t sure if he was imagining him or not. He’d pulled a late night every night since his return from Italy and frankly he was exhausted.

Harry’s smile could have lit up the whole of London to see Draco standing there. He could see he’d surprised him as well and was wondering if it was a good surprise or not. He had come to his work and not gone to his flat. The decision was made though and he could only move forward. 

“So Greece was beautiful, but… Something was missing.”

Draco blinked, continued to stare, and he barely heard Pansy yelling at him for ignoring her. He took a step towards Harry, then another, and when the man didn’t disappear on him, he reached out to lay his hand on his hip.

“You’re early,” he said and Pansy yelled at him that time. Draco’s eyes rolled a little and he reached up to the Bluetooth. “Darling, I’m going to have to call you back,” he told her and cut her off. She’d rip him a new arsehole later, but he didn’t much care.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what happened to six weeks?” he asked and a very pleased smile began to curl at his lips.

Harry lifted a hand to smooth down the lapel of Draco’s jacket. “Strangest thing… I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” He smiled at him and tugged gently on the jacket. 

“Everywhere I went I wished you were there with me. I figured the only way to solve that was to come to you.” Harry knew Draco didn’t do public with his affairs and it was taking everything he had in him not to tug him forward and kiss him.

Draco’s smile only grew and more than anything, he just wanted to pull Harry into his arms and kiss him. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said instead and nodded to Harry’s bags. “Lets get these in the car and then… do you want to get some take away? I’d cook for you, but I’m beat and I’m not exactly sure what I’ve got there at the moment.”

Harry nodded and reached for his bags. “Any place that delivers. I want to get you alone.” He gave him a brow waggle and pushed away from the car. He leaned closer to Draco, but not enough to raise suspicion. “I can give you a massage…”

Draco laughed, shook his head, and then hit the button on his key ring to pop the trunk. “You are the one that just got off of a long flight.” He took one of Harry’s bags from him and placed it in the trunk, then reached for the next. “How about we eat and then compromise? How does a nice bath sound? I’ve got this obscenely massive tub that I never get to use.”

“I’m game for anything that consists of the two of us naked together,” Harry said with a big smile. He was just ready to be able to touch him. That was what he needed more than anything. 

Draco shut the trunk and Harry just looked at him for a moment. Again his heart was thudding furiously in his ears and he couldn’t move forward without telling Draco the truth. “I’ve fallen for you, Draco. I know it was only a few weeks, but I needed to see you and tell you.” 

He stared into his lover’s gray eyes and held his gaze with his own. “I don’t know how… or what… I just know that I need you.”

Draco stared at him for a moment, then smiled again and reached out to place his hand back on Harry’s hip. “I missed you too, Harry,” he told him and suddenly he didn’t care who saw them, nor the consequences that would follow. Draco tugged Harry up tightly against him, cupped the back of his neck, and then kissed him for all the world to see.


End file.
